sweep away
phrasal verb
swept away; sweeping away; sweeps away
: to destroy or remove (something) completely
Floods swept away several houses.
His performance today swept away any doubts about his ability to play.
Examples of sweep away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The two were swept away by floods spawned by Hurricane Helene last year.
—
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 July 2025
The catastrophic deluge laid waste to communities across Kerr and Kendall counties, where neighborhoods and RV parks, as well as the 18 or so youth camps attended by thousands of kids each summer, were swept away in its fury.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Two 8-year-old Austin girls, Linnie McCown and Mary Stevens, were among the Camp Mystic campers swept away by the Guadalupe River early Friday morning — two of the more than 80 people who lost their lives in Kerr County.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 11 July 2025
Local and state officials reportedly rejected plans for a public warning system along the Guadalupe River where the floods struck before dawn on Independence Day, sweeping away summer camps, cars and vacationers in their path.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep away
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 July 2025
The catastrophic deluge laid waste to communities across Kerr and Kendall counties, where neighborhoods and RV parks, as well as the 18 or so youth camps attended by thousands of kids each summer, were swept away in its fury.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
Two 8-year-old Austin girls, Linnie McCown and Mary Stevens, were among the Camp Mystic campers swept away by the Guadalupe River early Friday morning — two of the more than 80 people who lost their lives in Kerr County.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 11 July 2025
Local and state officials reportedly rejected plans for a public warning system along the Guadalupe River where the floods struck before dawn on Independence Day, sweeping away summer camps, cars and vacationers in their path.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep away
Cite this Entry
“Sweep away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20away. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share