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

But the forklift operator and his family members — all citizens or legal residents — are fearful they could be swept up by immigration officers who are racially profiling people. —Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026

And yet there’s something moving about it, the spectacle of all these kids play-acting a previous generation’s trauma, as if they too will soon be swept up in it. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026

Civil liberties experts warn the expanding use of those systems risks sweeping up citizens and noncitizens alike, often with little transparency or meaningful oversight. —Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

An Arlington facility for brake parts brand Cardone has been caught in the wreckage as a dramatic bankruptcy and criminal proceedings sweep up an Ohio auto parts conglomerate. —Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for sweep up

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