sweeping

adjective

1

a

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

b

: having a curving line or form

2

a

: extensive

sweeping reforms

b

: marked by wholesale and indiscriminate inclusion

sweeping generalities

sweepingly adverb

sweepingness noun

Synonyms of sweeping

• broad
• extensive
• wide
• deep
• expansive
• extended

Examples of sweeping in a Sentence

a sweeping view of the valley

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

Recent Examples on the Web

So now, a 36-centimeter (14-inch) tall sculpture of the president made of plaster stands on a pedestal in the center of the room under sweeping chandeliers and framed by light-blue silk curtains. —ABC News, 8 June 2026

For many Michiganders, hearing the voice of Tim Allen over sweeping shots of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island and the Upper Peninsula brings more than vacation inspiration. —Rachelle Graham, CBS News, 8 June 2026

In October, the feds announced a sweeping investigation into NBA point-shaving rings tied to the mafia. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

In 2018, Jill Lepore published These Truths, the sort of sweeping single-volume history of the nation that no prominent scholar had attempted in generations. —Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sweeping

• sweeping victory

Rhymes for sweeping

• beeping
• creeping
• heaping
• keeping
• leaping
• peeping
• reaping
• seeping
• sleeping
• steeping
• weeping
• beekeeping

Kids Definition

sweeping

1 of 2 noun

sweep·​ing

1

: the act or action of one that sweeps

2

plural : things collected by sweeping

sweeping

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

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

b

: having a curving line or form

2

: broad sense 5

sweeping reforms

sweeping generalizations

sweepingly

ˈswē-piŋ-lē

adverb