sweep up

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

There, Jackie gets swept up in a love triangle with Cole (Noah LaLonde) and Alex Walter (Ashby Gentry), the titular Walter boys. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Cybersecurity stocks struggled early this year as they were swept up in the broader software sell-off, with investors worried AI could disrupt traditional software business models and erode pricing power. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026

That dynamic underscores how statewide races have gotten entirely swept up in national politics. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Ed gets swept up in her performative antics and elusive, larger-than-life allure. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for sweep up

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