sweep out
phrasal verb
swept out; sweeping out; sweeps out
1
: to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) by using a broom or brush
Please sweep out the room when you're done working.
2
: to push, carry, or lift (someone or something) with great force
The debris was swept out to sea by the tide.
Examples of sweep out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bystanders initially had conflicting reports about whether the man was still in the sinkhole or had been swept out to sea, firefighters said.
—
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Every year, city officials can sweep out revenues that are not obligated to specific projects to use as general revenue, in what is known as a TIF surplus.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
But he was grabbed out of his car and swept out of state to a regional ICE Processing Center before his lawyer could reach him.
—Neda Maghbouleh
august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Another possibility is that hominins living on the coast of mainland Southeast Asia could have been swept out to sea by a tsunami, and some of them could have been lucky enough to survive the misadventure and wash ashore someplace like Sulawesi, Flores, or Luzon (RIP to any others).
—ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep out
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.
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Every year, city officials can sweep out revenues that are not obligated to specific projects to use as general revenue, in what is known as a TIF surplus.
—Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
But he was grabbed out of his car and swept out of state to a regional ICE Processing Center before his lawyer could reach him.
—Neda Maghbouleh
august 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Another possibility is that hominins living on the coast of mainland Southeast Asia could have been swept out to sea by a tsunami, and some of them could have been lucky enough to survive the misadventure and wash ashore someplace like Sulawesi, Flores, or Luzon (RIP to any others).
—ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep out
Cite this Entry
“Sweep out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share