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

Individuals often get swept up in the immediate demands of work habits, so much so that the default is to live in a constant whirlwind of stress and high pressure. —Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

She was swept up by the government as part of what the Trump administration has described as a campaign against antisemitic activists on campus. —Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Residents swept up glass in front of the NAACP building. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025

In some places, including New York City, school attendance has decreased over fears that children could be swept up in a raid. —Brian Boggs, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for sweep up

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