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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California wildlife officials have approved a plan to eradicate Catalina’s entire deer population as part of a broader effort to restore the island ecosystem, sparking fierce opposition from an unusual coalition of hunters and animal welfare advocates.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026 -
To date, the only other human disease ever eradicated was the virus that caused smallpox.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But while leading with three laps to go, a caution erased his advantage and Kyle Larson jumped ahead of him during a sequence of pit stops and a restart to win the championship instead.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Hank activates the device, erasing his personality from the world and becoming part of something bigger.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some of the loudest calls to abolish ICE have come from Gen Z and millennial candidates, many of whom have sought to frame their bids around a larger rejection of Democratic Party norms.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
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Under his proposal, the position of prime minister would be abolished and the duties of the role absorbed into the office of the president.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But when a man from Anne’s past returns from war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
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Plenty of plants were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, of course, especially highly flammable shrubs like tall, skinny arborvitae.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Show-Me state has two Democrats in Congress and four Republicans, and a map Trump posted on social media would wipe out one Democratic seat.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Sep. 2025
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The Buckeyes benefited from a pair of penalties, including a face mask call on Colin Simmons that wiped out an incomplete pass on third-and-4.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Aug. 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 8 Feb. 2026.
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