SWEEPS Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

sweeps 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sweep

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

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

straightens

sweeps

2 of 2

noun

plural of sweep

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sweeps

Verb

That definition now sweeps in clothing from the late 2000s and early 2010s, transforming collections remembered by many shoppers as contemporary fashion into searchable archive material. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 Lunar eclipses are also completely safe to view with the naked eye, or even through a pair of binoculars of a telescope, which will offer a magnified view of the moon as Earth's shadow sweeps across its cratered landscape. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Newsom has kicked off debate over far-reaching proposals that could impact Californians’ home insurance prices, utility bills and who makes their community whole when electrical equipment sparks a wildfire that sweeps into their town. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Metallic teal foil sweeps across a neutral base, giving this otherwise simple manicure an artsy edge that feels effortless on short nails. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026 There’s no better place to be than Chicago when both teams are winning, the sun is shining and a cool breeze sweeps in off the lake. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Usher sweeps through the crowd, his security looking exasperated, with a goblet of cherries, trawling for women. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026 Its leading edge sweeps back 37 degrees, with a 28-degree sweep along the trailing edge. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him. — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026

Noun

The hottest team this side of Philadelphia is in Kansas City, where the Royals have won eight in a row, thanks to consecutive sweeps of the A’s and Tigers. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Recent sweeps have focused on payment terminals at stores and ATMs where skimming activity is suspected. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it. — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 Instead of operations aimed at specific individuals, federal agents increasingly conducted sweeps outside of Home Depot storefronts — where day laborers have long gathered to be hired for work. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 That was a welcome change for the down-on-their-luck Dodgers, who entered having lost eight of nine, including sweeps by the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Contributing to the lower-than-expected operating income were four-game sweeps in early rounds of the NBA playoffs and the impact of a network carriage dispute. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026 The third wave of sweeps occurred between Friday midday and Saturday morning, draining 208 Bitcoin from 1,912 addresses. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 The site also reported that, despite Flock’s not sharing data with agencies like ICE, police officers have been performing searches to aid in immigration sweeps. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweeps

Verb

Rather than funding a single program, the donation from the Dimons flows into permanent endowments, which UNCF argues gives schools the freedom to plan for decades instead of scrambling to find donations year to year.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
This force flows from a populational logic that uses statistics and algorithms to distribute the state’s violence work.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of flows

Verb

Uganda, a country that curves around Lake Victoria, took on a completely different shape.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Tumon Bay, the island’s main resort district, curves in a sweep of gorgeous waters backed by limestone cliffs and a skyline of hotels that reflect Guam’s long‑standing popularity with Japanese and Korean travelers.

— David Dickstein, Oc Register, 17 June 2026

Definition of curves

Noun

But the nightmarish realms of the Further retain their unnerving power, and some of the old-school ghost movie thrills are well done.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
However, officially removing him from the line of succession would require an Act of Parliament as well as the consent of the Commonwealth realms where King Charles is monarch, per the BBC.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of realms

Verb

Viewed through a singular perspective, the camera glides with measured precision, reflecting her focus and quiet intensity.

— Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Start your visit with a ride on the Bretton Woods Skyway Gondola, which glides above the treetops to reveal sweeping views of the Presidential Range painted in brilliant shades of crimson, amber and gold.

— Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of glides

Noun

Concert tickets for pop stars fetch several hundred dollars for seats in the upper reaches of massive football stadiums.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
However, unlike many other spiral galaxies, the gas in the outer reaches of this one rotates in the opposite direction to the gas and stars closer to its center, creating an especially unusual motion.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of reaches

Noun

Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president of the Philip Kingsley Clinics and product ranges, has clients who stay awake long into the night, comparing photos before and after shedding events.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026
The steepness of the yield curve is likewise not extreme relative to historical ranges.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026