as in eradicating
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 sweeping (away)
Verb
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Book bans are targeting trans authors in conservative states, eradicating their work from curricula and library circulation.—
Grace Byron,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025 -
Yet minimizing and possibly even eradicating infectious diseases is a collective act that requires nearly everyone to play their part.—
Simon Williams,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The brand’s eye-specific product packs a punch courtesy of antioxidants, fine line–erasing peptides, and Persian silk tree extract (the latter is both a preventative and curative measure against dark circles and puffiness).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Outdoor Voices, once the toast of the category, faded into restructuring, wiping out its entire social media presence.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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At least 61,000 people living in the Gaza Strip have died in Israel’s subsequent military campaign aimed at wiping out Hamas and recovering the hostages.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, support for abolishing the Monarchy has risen from 3 percent to 15 percent during that time.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Whereas opposition parties favored cutting or abolishing it, the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito—concerned that such a move would spook financial markets—instead offered one-time cash payments of roughly $140 per person to defray the cost of living.—
Mireya Solís,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The military has also been targeting and destroying high-rise buildings surrounding displacement camps, crowding Gaza City’s residents into ever-smaller spaces.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, North was found guilty of destroying official documents, accepting a home security system as a gift and obstructing Congress in 1989.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sweeping (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweeping%20%28away%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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