clean sweep
noun
1
: a victory in which one side or team wins every game, contest, etc.
The Red Sox won the series in a clean sweep.
The election was a clean sweep for local Democratic candidates.
2
: a complete change in something
The new governor has made a clean sweep of the staff in the governor's mansion.
Examples of clean sweep in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One Battle After Another has scored a clean sweep of major precursor wins this season, extremely rare, even starting with the Gothams.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
Arsenal and City are still chasing a clean sweep of trophies; Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and English League Cup.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Mottley, 60, secured a historic third consecutive term in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections, and her Barbados Labor Party claimed every one of the 30 seats in the House of Assembly in a clean sweep.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
This will be a clean sweep for Democrats come November.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
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Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
Arsenal and City are still chasing a clean sweep of trophies; Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and English League Cup.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Mottley, 60, secured a historic third consecutive term in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections, and her Barbados Labor Party claimed every one of the 30 seats in the House of Assembly in a clean sweep.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
This will be a clean sweep for Democrats come November.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
Cite this Entry
“Clean sweep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20sweep. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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