sweep up
phrasal verb
swept up; sweeping up; sweeps up
1
: to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) by using a broom or brush
When I was sweeping up, I found an earring that I had lost.
Can you please sweep up the porch?
2
: to remove (something, such as dust, dirt, etc.) from a surface by using a broom or brush
She swept up the broken glass.
3
: to pick up (someone or something) in one quick, continuous motion
She swept the baby up and carried her to the crib.
4
: to brush or pull (hair) away from the face
—usually used as be swept up
Her hair was swept up in a bun.
Examples of sweep up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But because those foreigners often contact Americans, domestic data is also swept up in collection as well.
—
Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, Americans’ communications are routinely swept up by the program.
—Condé Nast, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The path of totality will then sweep up the United states, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
In the church courtyard, a gray-haired man is sweeping up broken glass and gathering small pieces of concrete.
—Claire Harbage, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
Rose, swept up in the momentum of the occasion, decided to splash out on a fireworks display, a string quartet, a horse and carriage and an ice cream van.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
Don’t act too quickly or get swept up in someone else’s dream.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024
However, Southern folks try not to get too swept up in the schedule to forget about what makes Easter special, which is perhaps why so many prefer to enjoy it the same way, with the same people, year after year.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024
Editors’ Picks The middle child and only son of a college professor and high school English teacher, White was a devoted student and shy child who slowly got swept up by rock and country — Charley Pride and the Rolling Stones first, punk later.
—Grayson Haver Currin, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, Americans’ communications are routinely swept up by the program.
—Condé Nast, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
The path of totality will then sweep up the United states, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
In the church courtyard, a gray-haired man is sweeping up broken glass and gathering small pieces of concrete.
—Claire Harbage, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
Rose, swept up in the momentum of the occasion, decided to splash out on a fireworks display, a string quartet, a horse and carriage and an ice cream van.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
Don’t act too quickly or get swept up in someone else’s dream.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024
However, Southern folks try not to get too swept up in the schedule to forget about what makes Easter special, which is perhaps why so many prefer to enjoy it the same way, with the same people, year after year.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024
Editors’ Picks The middle child and only son of a college professor and high school English teacher, White was a devoted student and shy child who slowly got swept up by rock and country — Charley Pride and the Rolling Stones first, punk later.
—Grayson Haver Currin, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sweep up
Cite this Entry
“Sweep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20up. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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