sweep away

phrasal verb

swept away; sweeping away; sweeps away

: to destroy or remove (something) completely

Floods swept away several houses.

His performance today swept away any doubts about his ability to play.

Examples of sweep away in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The conditions produced severe flash flooding in San Diego, sweeping away cars and triggering a state of emergency in the area. —USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2024

One video showed a police officer hurling a rescue ring to someone swept away by flood waters. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 23 Jan. 2024

One fell from a ladder, the other dove into the sea after him and both were quickly swept away by the waves, officials have said. —Alex Horton, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024

Garbage and folding chairs littered the grounds in front of Union Station, items that normally would have been swept away and removed by the morning. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024

Severe flash flooding in San Diego swept away cars and triggered a state of emergency. —Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024

If the fossils are not collected in time, they can be swept away during the rainy season. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Mar. 2024

Search efforts continue for a woman swept away by the San Gabriel River last weekend, with authorities vowing on Tuesday to find her. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Days of war sweep away ideas that had prevailed for decades. —Gregg Carlstrom, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024