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

Where Luna moves like a whirlwind, Jane sweeps up the crumbs. —Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025

The museum spent 105 million euros on artworks in the six years to 2024, sweeping up 2,754 pieces in that time. —Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

Newsweek has revealed dozens of cases involving green card holders and applicants who were swept up in the ICE raids. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

The sanitation workers were practically still sweeping up the Year 2000 confetti in Times Square when Lexus revealed the all-new, third-gen LS at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2000. —Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for sweep up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup