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
Under the mass crackdown, nonviolent migrants without legal status, DACA recipients, and green card holders have been swept up in the immigration raids.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The Canadian multi-cooker surged in popularity around 2017, and like everyone else, I was swept up in its promise of efficiency.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Nov. 2025
That belief and the massive gesture of waiting for Joan seem easy to get swept up in, but Joan lived a whole life after that relationship and found love with someone else.
—Alamin Yohannes, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Though designed to target immigrants who had committed violent crimes or pose a national security threat, today the agreements are used to sweep up anyone not in the country legally, said Lena Graber, managing attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep up
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Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The Canadian multi-cooker surged in popularity around 2017, and like everyone else, I was swept up in its promise of efficiency.
—Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Nov. 2025
That belief and the massive gesture of waiting for Joan seem easy to get swept up in, but Joan lived a whole life after that relationship and found love with someone else.
—Alamin Yohannes, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Though designed to target immigrants who had committed violent crimes or pose a national security threat, today the agreements are used to sweep up anyone not in the country legally, said Lena Graber, managing attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep up
Cite this Entry
“Sweep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20up. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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