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

Movement on a deal has largely stalled with US-China trade relations swept up in larger tensions over tariff negotiations. —Hadriana Lowenkron, Fortune, 29 June 2025

Newsweek has reported dozens of cases involving green card holders and applicants who were swept up in the immigration raids and various arrests. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025

Her daughter Juliet arrived early, at 36 weeks, and Michelle and her husband, Ty, now 39, were swept up in the beautiful chaos of new parenthood. —Jordan Greene, People.com, 25 June 2025

Along with his father and grandfather, Bambino gets to work sweeping up the stars in a cute, but wildly inaccurate, explanation for the phases of the Moon. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 20 June 2025

Rhymes for sweep up

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