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

Cleaning out a cabin after the winter — sweeping up mouse droppings — has been associated with hantavirus cases in the United States. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 May 2026

Eugenie, 36, and her older sister Beatrice, 37, have been swept up in the scandal that has engulfed their family as a result of their parents’ ties to Epstein, although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on their parts. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 4 May 2026

Meanwhile, Kahan’s back catalog is getting swept up in the current. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 May 2026

But swept up in the moment, and with the majority of a 37,000-strong crowd going wild, Clarke kicked a pitchside advertising hoarding in celebration… and broke a toe. —Cerys Jones, New York Times, 1 May 2026

Rhymes for sweep up

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