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

Apple has mostly stood on the sidelines of the AI frenzy that’s swept up Wall Street since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT at the end of 2022. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026

About 30 of the 54 people swept up in Operation Salvo have been deported, Noem said. —Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026

For anyone now disappointed after getting swept up in the hype of the theory, this isn't the end of Stranger Things as a franchise. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026

For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion. —Lauren Ashley Bishop, Variety, 4 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for sweep up

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