as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
some priceless works of literature were swept away when the library at Alexandria burned
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweep (away)
Verb
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The fest was especially significant this year — the 50th anniversary of resettlement in the U.S. by refugees emanating from the Vietnam War, the Secret War in Laos and the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia that attempted to eradicate artists, intellectuals and cultural bearers from society.—
Jia H. Jung,
Mercury News,
11 July 2025 -
Measles was eradicated in the United States 25 years ago.—
Taylor Wilson,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Kurt's key takeaways The AI tattoo machine isn't here to erase tradition.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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And the push to exclude non-citizens from the next count is unconstitutional, deeply un-American and designed to erase entire communities.—
Genesis Robinson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025
Verb
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While Minnesota abolished the death penalty over a century ago, the federal murder charges carry a maximum penalty of capital punishment.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 July 2025
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Minnesota abolished its state death penalty in 1911.—
Steve Karnowski,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The fire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge was burning on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.—
AZCentral.com,
AZCentral.com,
14 July 2025
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Experts have long assumed that the instrument had been destroyed or lost to history.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Severe weather in recent years has also strained local farms, at times wiping out entire crops at once.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
10 July 2025
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Two major climate disasters of 2025 — the Texas flooding that killed more than 100 people and the L.A. wildfires in January that resulted in 30 deaths and wiped out more than 15,000 homes and businesses — highlight the struggles officials face in fully preparing for extreme weather conditions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sweep (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweep%20%28away%29. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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