sweep

play

verb \ ˈswēp \

Definition of sweep

swept play \ˈswept\; sweeping

transitive verb

1 a :to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush

swept the crumbs from the table

b :to destroy completely :wipe out —usually used with away

everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight
—Louis Bromfield

c :to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action

swept the books off the desk

d :to remove from sight or consideration

the problem can't be swept under the rug

e :to drive or carry along with irresistible force

a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office

2 a :to clean with or as if with a broom or brush

b :to clear by repeated and forcible action

c :to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly

fire swept the business district
—Amer. Guide Series: Md.

d :to win an overwhelming victory in or on

sweep the elections

e :to win all the games or contests of

sweep a double-header

sweep a series

3 :to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement

4 :to trace or describe the locus or extent of (something, such as a line, circle, or angle)

5 :to cover the entire range of

his eyes swept the horizon

intransitive verb

1 a :to clean a surface with or as if with a broom

b :to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly

the wind swept through the treetops

2 :to go with stately or sweeping movements

proudly swept into the room

3 :to move or extend in a wide curve or range

— sweep one off one's feet

:to gain immediate and unquestioning support, approval, or acceptance by a person

— sweep the board or sweep the table

1 :to win all the bets on the table

2 :to win everything :beat all competitors

See sweep defined for English-language learners

See sweep defined for kids

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

He swept the dirt off the driveway.
He swept the crumbs from the table.
I need to sweep the kitchen.
Are you finished sweeping the porch?
A storm swept across the plains.
Fires swept through the forest.
She proudly swept into the room.
The limo swept up to the door.
He swept the curtains aside.
She swept the books off the desk.

Recent Examples of sweep from the Web

Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Birmingham police investigate 2 morning shootings," 30 Aug. 2017
Sweeping success: Joliet Catholic never hit the brakes during the Oswego East/Metea Valley Kickoff Classic, sweeping all five matches in two straight games.

— tony baranek, Daily Southtown, "Girls volleyball notes: Marist's Savannah Thompson leads way over No. 9 Minooka," 28 Aug. 2017
Hurricane Harvey struck Texas late Friday night, clobbering the state’s Gulf Coast with heavy rains and 130-mile-per-hour winds as the eye of the storm swept ashore.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "‘The Rainfall Threat Is Only Beginning’," 26 Aug. 2017
In North America, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will return April 8, 2024, sweeping across Mexico and up northeast through Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Maine.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Done With Your Eclipse Glasses? Donate Them to Kids In Another Part of the World," 22 Aug. 2017
While youth crime has been declining for years, a decade ago California dramatically changed its approach in a series of new laws, chief among them the sweeping juvenile justice realignment bill.

— greg moran, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Juvenile crime rates plummet amid new approaches to tackling youth crime," 19 Aug. 2017
Fierce Siberian winds sweep across the country without respite or obstruction:

— jean h. lee, Esquire, "Inside Kim Jong-un's Bloody Scramble to Kill Off His Family," 11 Aug. 2017
On Aug. 21, the dark inner part of the moon’s shadow will sweep across the United States, creating a total solar eclipse for regions in 14 states.

— michael e. bakich, Discover Magazine, "Solar Eclipse Geometry," 7 Aug. 2017
During the ceremony, the dress was a glamorous ballgown featuring a semi sheer lace bodice and a floor-sweeping princess skirt.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "This Bride's Two-in-One Wedding Gown Is Beyond Gorgeous," 1 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sweep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sweep

Middle English swepen; akin to Old English swāpan to sweep, Old High German sweifen to wander

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

bowl, breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift, glide, roll, sail, skim, slide, slip, stream, flow, whisk

Antonyms

flounder, struggle

Related Words

fly, race, rush, speed

Near Antonyms

limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge; shamble, shuffle; stamp, stomp, stump, tramp; labor, toil

sweep

noun

Definition of sweep

1 :something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion: such as

a :a long pole or timber pivoted on a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well

b :a triangular cultivator blade that cuts off weeds under the soil surface

c :a windmill sail

2 a :an instance of sweeping; especially :a clearing out or away with or as if with a broom

b :the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining

c :an overwhelming victory

d :a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition

e :a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police)

3 a :a movement of great range and force

b :a curving or circular course or line

c :the compass of a sweeping movement :scope

d :a broad unbroken area or extent

a sweep of wildflowers

e :an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier

4 :chimney sweep

5 :sweepstakes

6 :obliquity with respect to a reference line

sweep of an airplane wing

; especially :sweepback

7 sweeps plural :a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates

See sweep defined for English-language learners

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople.

Recent Examples of sweep from the Web

A warrant sweep in Glendale over the weekend netted 10 arrests, police said.

— andy nguyen, Glendale News-Press, "10 arrested in Glendale warrant sweep," 28 Aug. 2017
In a rematch of a 2016 A.L. division series, which Cleveland won in a three-game sweep, Trevor Bauer (11-8) struck out 11 over six and two-thirds innings.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Seahawks’ Michael Bennett Plans to Sit for National Anthem," 14 Aug. 2017
Most importantly, Democrats award delegates on a strictly proportional basis, making the occasional sweeps that helped Trump win in 2016 impossible.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Democrats Could Have a 2020 Presidential Field As Wide As an Iowa Cornfield," 2 Aug. 2017
Correctional Officers: Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff known for his hardline immigration policies, was convicted of criminal contempt of court for violating orders to stop immigration sweeps based on racial profiling.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Mooch Ado About Staffing," 31 July 2017
The Rangers pulled off the sweep of the Rays to turn in a 5-5 road trip to start the second half.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers reaction: Sweep crucial but more work to be done at home," 24 July 2017
The residue from the burning piles rises in a spindle of hazardous smoke, twists into the wind and, depending on the weather, sweeps toward the tens of thousands of residents in the surrounding towns.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Open Burning: A Banned Practice That’s Poisoning America," 21 July 2017
The Aberdeen Ironbirds put the wraps on a three-game sweep of the Brooklyn Cyclones Friday night at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "IronBirds blank Brooklyn, 3-0, to finish off sweep," 30 June 2017
The Republican sweep of these contests—in Kansas, Montana, Georgia, and South Carolina, where Trump tapped House members to join his Cabinet—does have some tangible consequences.

— ronald brownstein, The Atlantic, "What Democrats' Defeat in Georgia Means—and Doesn't," 21 June 2017

Illustration of sweep

First Known Use of sweep

1548

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confines, dimension (s), extent, reach, realm, scope, range, width

Related Words

gamut, spectrum, spread; bailiwick, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, province, region, specialty, sphere, terrain; frontier; horizon, panorama

Synonym Discussion of sweep

range, gamut, compass, sweep, scope, orbit mean the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control). range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.

- the entire range of human experience

gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.

- a performance that ran the gamut of emotions

compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.

- your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study

sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

- the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity

scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.

- as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened

orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.

- within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

SWEEP Defined for English Language Learners

sweep

play

verb

Definition of sweep for English Language Learners

: to remove (something, such as dust or dirt) from a surface with a broom or brush or with a quick movement of your hand, fingers, etc.
: to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) with a broom or brush
: to move or pass quickly, forcefully, or smoothly

sweep

noun

Definition of sweep for English Language Learners

: an act of cleaning an area with a broom or brush
: a long, smooth movement often in a wide curve
: a large area of land often forming a wide curve

SWEEP Defined for Kids

sweep

play

verb \ ˈswēp \

Definition of sweep for Students

swept \ˈswept\; sweeping

1 :to remove with a broom or brush

Please sweep up the dirt.

2 :to clean by removing loose dirt or small trash with a broom or brush

I need to sweep the floor.

3 :to move over or across swiftly often with force or destruction

Fire swept the village.

4 :to move or gather as if with a broom or brush

I swept the money from the table.

5 :to move the eyes or an instrument through a wide curve

They swept the hill for some sign of the enemy.

6 :to touch a surface of quickly

The musician's fingers swept the piano keys.

7 :to drive along with steady force

Debris was swept away by the tide.

8 :to become suddenly very popular throughout

It's a show that is sweeping the nation.

9 :to achieve a complete or easy victory

—

sweeper

noun

sweep

noun

Definition of sweep for Students

1 :a curving movement, course, or line

I brushed it away with a sweep of my hand.

2 :an act or instance of cleaning with a broom or brush

3 :a wide stretch or curve of land

4 :something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion

5 :a complete or easy victory

6 :¹range 2, scope

The island was outside the sweep of our vision.

7 :chimney sweep

Learn More about sweep

See words that rhyme with sweep Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sweep Spanish Central: Translation of sweep Nglish: Translation of sweep for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sweep for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweep

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up sweep? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

sweep

Definition of sweep

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sweep from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sweep

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

sweep

Definition of sweep

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sweep from the Web

Illustration of sweep

First Known Use of sweep

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of sweep

Phrases Related to SWEEP

Related Phrases

SWEEP Defined for English Language Learners

sweep

Definition of sweep for English Language Learners

sweep

Definition of sweep for English Language Learners

SWEEP Defined for Kids

sweep

Definition of sweep for Students

sweeper

sweep

Definition of sweep for Students

Learn More about sweep

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066