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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Armed with a forestry degree from Yale, Leopold was tasked with running a program to eradicate wolves and mountain lions in New Mexico and Arizona.—
Mark VanderSchaaf,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2026 -
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated, according to the World Health Organization.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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After Orlando squandered a chance on the counterattack, Philadelphia capitalized in transition to erase the remaining deficit.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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Lehmann considers the contested history of Anne Boleyn, the outlandish accusations against her, and the ways in which her image has been erased and changed over time.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Let’s go down memory lane and recall that the 13th Amendment is abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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The Deep is just going through it in this episode, starting with the news that Homelander is abolishing the Seven.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Covers personal property used to secure a loan as collateral if it's destroyed.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Texas’ new maps shifted seats in favor of Republicans and in the process wiped out the only two districts that would have been considered competitive in 2024.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Decades of war wiped out much of its fighting population and forced it to depend on unreliable allies, triggering its eventual decline.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
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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 20 May. 2026.
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