sweeping

noun

sweep·ing | \ ˈswē-piŋ

Definition of sweeping

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the act or action of one that sweeps gave the room a good sweeping

2 sweepings plural : things collected by sweeping : refuse

sweeping

adjective

Definition of sweeping (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : moving or extending in a wide curve or over a wide area

b : having a curving line or form

2a : extensive sweeping reforms

b : marked by wholesale and indiscriminate inclusion sweeping generalities

Other Words from sweeping Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sweeping

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sweeping

Synonyms: Adjective

broad, deep, expansive, extended, extensive, far-flung, far-reaching, rangy, wide, wide-ranging, widespread

Antonyms: Adjective

narrow

Examples of sweeping in a Sentence

Noun

The porch needs a good sweeping.

Adjective

a sweeping view of the valley He dismissed the idea with a sweeping motion of his arm.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Separately, Xi and Macron issued a sweeping, 37-point joint statement that seemed like another rebuke to Trump. — Sylvie Corbet, The Seattle Times, "China’s Xi, European leaders form trade policy partnership," 26 Mar. 2019 The July 30 vote was peaceful but scenes of the military sweeping into the capital two days later to disperse opposition protesters led to fears that Mnangagwa's government was stuck in the past despite declarations of reforms. — Fox News, "The Latest: Zimbabwe court upholds president's election win," 24 Aug. 2018 The final goal came from Belgium’s final attack of the game, a sweeping, length-of-the-field surge that ended up with Nacer Chadli tapping into the Japan net. — Jonathan Clegg, WSJ, "Belgium Rallies From Two-Goal Deficit to Stun Japan in the World Cup," 2 July 2018 Amid a litany of promises ranging from the hyper specific to the sweeping, NBC News has zeroed in on and evaluated 10. — NBC News, "One Year Later, What Trump’s Delivered – and What He Hasn’t," 8 Nov. 2017 The sweeping, 37-page indictment marked the first time the federal government identified specific culprits and included a wealth of information. — Washington Post, "Evidence against Russians might never see the light of day," 3 Mar. 2018 Curlers need to have strong core muscles and upper body strength in order to manage the often rigorous sweeping that helps them guide the rock down the ice. — Bloomberg.com, "Doping Charge Could Hurt Russia's Chance At Reinstatement," 19 Feb. 2018 Curlers need to have strong core muscles and upper body strength in order to manage the often rigorous sweeping that helps them guide the rock down the ice. — Time, "A Russian Curling Medalist Has Been Charged With Doping at the PyeongChang Olympics," 19 Feb. 2018 Curlers need to have strong core muscles and upper body strength in order to manage the often rigorous sweeping that helps them guide the rock down the ice. — Kristen Gelineau, Houston Chronicle, "Olympic curling world stunned by Russian doping scandal," 19 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In April, the parliament passed sweeping legislation designed to reform the power sector, including the building of new power plants and the provision of twenty-four-hour electricity by 2020. — Jane Ferguson, The New Yorker, "Why Lebanon’s People Are Turning on Their Politicians," 12 July 2019 Best Day Time Activities: Living la dolce vita at an all-day seaside party at Villa Bismarck with sweeping views of Capri and the sea. — Nicole Fritton, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Perfect Capri Itinerary, All in 3 Days," 10 July 2019 The bridge, at the top of Crockett Mountain, offers sweeping views of the surrounding Smokies and the town of Gatlinburg, as well as the forest below through glass observation panels at the bridge’s midway point. — al.com, "Take a luxury camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains," 9 July 2019 Last year, the government passed sweeping legislation that included harsher penalties for leaking classified or secret information. — Isabella Kwai, BostonGlobe.com, "Australian police obtained journalist’s travel records in leak inquiry," 8 July 2019 Last year, the government passed sweeping legislation that included harsher penalties for leaking classified or secret information. — Isabella Kwai, New York Times, "Australian Police Obtained Journalist’s Travel Records From Airline in Leak Inquiry," 8 July 2019 The problem is, the enforcement and timing of the directives have yet to match measures already in place in the EU — including sweeping legislation passed earlier this year that will ban single-use plastic in all member states by 2021. — Time, "Japan, a Big Plastic User, Fights Waste Ahead of the G-20 Summit," 26 June 2019 City transit officials recently announced sweeping changes would be made to some of San Francisco’s most dangerous streets. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Man hit by car in SF’s SoMa suffers near-fatal injuries," 27 June 2019 Following years of preparation by staff, the St. Paul City Council recently adopted sweeping changes to its comprehensive plan — a planning document designed to guide the city’s development and infrastructure priorities for the next 10 or 20 years. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, "St. Paul’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan heads to Met Council. Here’s what’s in it.," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sweeping.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.