1
as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
the wind swept across the plain without respite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curves
to turn away from a straight line or course
from this point the mountain range sweeps to the northeast and extends into the next state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in confines
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sweeps
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Instead, its breathless, queasy energy sweeps us along.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
The traffic sweeps continued through the week, sparking terror in Nashville’s immigrant community and accusations of racial profiling and pretextual traffic stops.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
Yoo wears round wire-frame glasses and sweeps his dark hair back; Schat describes herself as a tomboy and keeps her hair in a pixie cut.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Millions of residents across five states are being warned to avoid prolonged sun exposure as extreme heat sweeps across parts of the western United States.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Use door sweeps on exterior doors.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
McDaniel handed him the offense to run from long balls to receiver screens to a toss sweeps to a receiver in motion.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Tel controls the ball into Johnson’s path, who sweeps the ball out wide towards Son, who is free on the left wing.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The senators’ visit to North Chicago came as the city and suburbs braced for immigration sweeps and many also continued protesting, including dozens outside an ICE processing center in Broadview Friday morning.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
O’Connell has publicly condemned immigration sweeps that have led to the detention of hundreds of individuals who lived in Nashville.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
The appellate court had held that the INS could not rely on these immigration sweeps but, rather, needed to articulate objective facts and rational inferences to support a reasonable suspicion that each person detained is undocumented.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The carrier group did not mention anti-submarine sweeps for any specific vessels.
—John Feng
robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
When the London Underground was new, Victoria was Queen, chimneys had sweeps and England was more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit cooler.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
The school had issued an active shooter alert, telling students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall and lock and barricade doors while police conducted sweeps of the campus.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
Many of those sweeps haven’t required the assistance of the California Guard.
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
As Powerball excitement sweeps the nation for hopeful gamblers, aspiring players in certain states shouldn't get their hopes up, and not because of the long odds to win.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Instead, its breathless, queasy energy sweeps us along.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
The traffic sweeps continued through the week, sparking terror in Nashville’s immigrant community and accusations of racial profiling and pretextual traffic stops.
—Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
Yoo wears round wire-frame glasses and sweeps his dark hair back; Schat describes herself as a tomboy and keeps her hair in a pixie cut.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Millions of residents across five states are being warned to avoid prolonged sun exposure as extreme heat sweeps across parts of the western United States.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Use door sweeps on exterior doors.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
McDaniel handed him the offense to run from long balls to receiver screens to a toss sweeps to a receiver in motion.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Tel controls the ball into Johnson’s path, who sweeps the ball out wide towards Son, who is free on the left wing.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Gentle sweeps and curves are better than straight rows that merely repeat the legal lines of your property boundaries.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
The senators’ visit to North Chicago came as the city and suburbs braced for immigration sweeps and many also continued protesting, including dozens outside an ICE processing center in Broadview Friday morning.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
O’Connell has publicly condemned immigration sweeps that have led to the detention of hundreds of individuals who lived in Nashville.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
The appellate court had held that the INS could not rely on these immigration sweeps but, rather, needed to articulate objective facts and rational inferences to support a reasonable suspicion that each person detained is undocumented.
—Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
The carrier group did not mention anti-submarine sweeps for any specific vessels.
—John Feng
robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
When the London Underground was new, Victoria was Queen, chimneys had sweeps and England was more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit cooler.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
The school had issued an active shooter alert, telling students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall and lock and barricade doors while police conducted sweeps of the campus.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
Many of those sweeps haven’t required the assistance of the California Guard.
—Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweeps
Verb
-
Raft the Animas River Colorado’s world-famous whitewater includes the Animas River, which flows by Durango.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The water condenses on the glass and flows down a tube to emerge as fresh, drinkable water.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The mortality curves from Gompertz models associated with the three migratory strategies are presented on panel A–C—the death rates m(x) (gray dots) are also presented.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
As the road curves around, the Inland Sea comes into view, its small pool feeding into the ocean through a massive slit in the cliff.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The former Chelsea and Aston Villa winger offers Sunderland something slightly different in terms of being a left-footed player who drifts in from the right.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The video shows the shark's dorsal fin cutting across the water before the giant fish drifts along the side of the kayak, its skin visible just below the surface.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The traditional client-vendor dynamic, defined by retainers, inflexible scopes and long approval cycles, no longer matches the speed or complexity of today’s business environment.—
Humphrey Ho,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
With two pairs of legs to each ring, the new species glides around on 160 legs.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
-
On the 25th, Venus glides into Leo, spotlighting your financial world and your sense of self-worth.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
-
These leaders are the future of our communities in both the corporate and nonprofit realms.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For the first time, a team of Japanese astronomers has captured clear images of jets and outflows from a young star forming in the far reaches of our Milky Way.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The coral was seen growing out of the rocky bottom of the sea from a depth of about 2,200 feet, but near the region known as the deepest reaches of the ocean, the Mariana Trench.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As the region’s megadrought continues, roaming mammals, like black bears and mountain lions, may start to occupy larger ranges, widening their territory in the search for water and other resources.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Its unveiling marked a turning point in the evolution of fleet defense, where lasers, once confined to experimental test ranges, are now being positioned as operational assets aboard warships.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sweeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweeps. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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