sweep

verb \ ˈswēp \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

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

In June 2013, when the fire swept through Yarnell and overran the hotshot crew, Preston was pregnant with their first child, a daughter, born six months after Warneke died.

— karina bland, azcentral, "New statue to honor Granite Mountain Hotshots 5 years after Yarnell Hill Fire," 20 Apr. 2018
About 50 people lived in the camp before the fires swept through the North Bay in October.

— kevin fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, "North Bay homeless camp that grew after wildfires is cleared," 19 Apr. 2018
Boys sent out for milk might end up with their heads lopped off by drunken Cossacks sweeping through town.

— janice gary, Longreads, "Bang and Vanish," 18 Apr. 2018
Push notifications will alert you to our top stories and breaking n Lena Blietzlblietz@star-telegram.com Powerful storms swept through Canton Saturday evening.

— stephen english, star-telegram, "Need fire extinguisher or portable lights? Emergency-items tax holiday is April 28-29 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 17 Apr. 2018
In 1848, a wave of nationalist revolutions swept through the Western world.

— steve donoghue, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Pope Who Would Be King' details the birth of the modern papacy," 17 Apr. 2018
Think flat, rootless preseason tuneups, or international friendlies, where mindless waves sweep through indifferent crowds.

— rory smith, New York Times, "The Players Are Retired. But Try Telling Them the Games Don’t Matter.," 17 Apr. 2018
Major flooding in early March shut down the same area as a nor'easter swept through the Chesapeake region.

— ellen fishel, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore weather: Flood warning in effect Monday morning," 16 Apr. 2018
The Gun Control Act was a response to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy and to the riots that were sweeping through the country, from Newark to Watts.

— elliott woods, The New Republic, "Essential reporting, interpretation, and opinion on politics and culture. Don't miss our latest.," 16 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

sweep Synonyms

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

Their largest margin of victory in the first-round sweep: Six.

— bud shaw, cleveland.com, "Not surprisingly, the Cavs will have to dig deeper to survive the East -- Shaw's Spin," 20 Apr. 2018
Jones only allowed four goals in the four-game sweep of the Ducks.

— tyler horka, SI.com, "Stanley Cup Playoff Roundup: Crosby, Penguins Put Flyers on Brink of Elimination With Game 4 Win," 19 Apr. 2018
In a 2-2 week that included an LEC home sweep, Bolduk batted .500 (5-for-10) with a .545 on-base percentage as a first baseman and shortstop on the way to this honor for the third time in six reports.

— courant.com, "Regional Digest: Rain Gives Yard Goats Another Day Off," 16 Apr. 2018
The bullpen surrendered 12 runs in the three-game sweep to the Los Angeles Angels.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Andrus to miss 6-8 weeks, but injury isn't only thing Rangers must overcome | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 12 Apr. 2018
Jenny Van Geertry was quite the showstopper for Northern Illinois in a recent doubleheader sweep of Buffalo.

— tony baranek, Daily Southtown, "Baranek: Lincoln-Way East grad Jenny Van Geertry a junior sensation at Northern Illinois," 11 Apr. 2018
In 2015, Duda hit .244 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs during the regular season, and batted .400 with six RBIs in a four-game sweep of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series.

— pete grathoff and maria torres, kansascity, "Royals sign Lucas Duda, who had key role in 2015 World Series play | The Kansas City Star," 28 Feb. 2018
In November more than 200 royals and businessmen were detained in an anti-corruption sweep.

— The Economist, "Taxing timesA new levy is one step towards fixing Saudi Arabia’s fiscal woes," 13 Jan. 2018
Pointedly, the princes were sent to the maximum-security al-Ha’er prison pending their trial -- and not the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel that had housed many rounded up in the anti-corruption sweep.

— Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Handouts Show Prince Bet on Citizens After Royal Crackdown," 7 Jan. 2018

Illustration of sweep

First Known Use of sweep

1548

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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

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

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sweep from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sweep

sweep Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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

All the Hits

The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

Trending: 'Venom' Trailer Drives Searches for 'Symbiote'

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes