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
The Pelicans came out of Australia with a clean sweep of the two NBL teams, by defeating Melbourne United in a close 107-97 bout, and dominating the Phoenix 127-92.
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Greg Liodice, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Arthur, White, and McClanahan won for Lead Actress in a Comedy, and Getty won for Supporting Actress — a rare clean sweep for a sitcom ensemble.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Four electric toothbrushes powered by sonic technology won in a clean sweep.
—Emma Guillen, People.com, 17 July 2025
This year was nearly a clean sweep for cities in South America.
—Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
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Greg Liodice, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Arthur, White, and McClanahan won for Lead Actress in a Comedy, and Getty won for Supporting Actress — a rare clean sweep for a sitcom ensemble.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Four electric toothbrushes powered by sonic technology won in a clean sweep.
—Emma Guillen, People.com, 17 July 2025
This year was nearly a clean sweep for cities in South America.
—Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
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 15 Oct. 2025.
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