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
Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026
In just one week, a spectacular display of orbital mechanics will be visible to billions of people across the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, as Earth's shadow sweeps across the lunar disk, triggering the onset of an awe-inspiring 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026
In a 2023 city comptroller audit, out of 2,308 people caught in Mayor Adams’ homeless sweeps the previous year, only 90 people stayed in shelter for more than a single day.
—Deborah Berkman, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Forecasters warn that the combination could bring damaging winds, large hail, and even an isolated tornado before a cold front sweeps through overnight.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Feb. 2026
Once the Moon contacts the umbra, a dark bite progressively sweeps across the lunar surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Accessible transportation options include city buses, taxis and the Las Vegas Monorail that sweeps visitors from the MGM Grand to Sahara Las Vegas.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 19 Feb. 2026
The mayor was still against encampment sweeps nearly a month ago, when CBS News New York showed him pictures of homeless encampments where people were shivering in the dead of winter.
—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Mysterious wave of bot traffic sweeps the web In recent weeks, websites large and small have seen dramatic spikes in visitors with IP addresses in Lanzhou, China — a manufacturing-heavy city that’s not known as a tech hub — with some of the visits routed through Singapore.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The police dogs and their handlers also put on 59 public displays and demonstrations for groups throughout Lake County, and the dogs did eight sweeps at schools to help ensure safety and interdict drug use.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The city’s homeless services department will oversee the sweeps and will use continued engagement with the people affected throughout the process.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2026
Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, touted sweeps of makeshift encampments as a centerpiece of his efforts to restore order to the city.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Point Loma Nazarene University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams completed three-game sweeps in Hawaii late Saturday night to remain atop their PacWest Conference races.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
That’s because two years of intense sweeps haven’t moved homeless residents indoors, Hauswald said.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
At the Veterans of Foreign Wars post, Commander Tommy Nester finds it behind the ceiling panels, brushes it off the uniforms that aren’t behind glass and sweeps it from the baseboards of the main hall.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026
In just one week, a spectacular display of orbital mechanics will be visible to billions of people across the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, as Earth's shadow sweeps across the lunar disk, triggering the onset of an awe-inspiring 'blood moon' total lunar eclipse.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026
In a 2023 city comptroller audit, out of 2,308 people caught in Mayor Adams’ homeless sweeps the previous year, only 90 people stayed in shelter for more than a single day.
—Deborah Berkman, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Forecasters warn that the combination could bring damaging winds, large hail, and even an isolated tornado before a cold front sweeps through overnight.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Feb. 2026
Once the Moon contacts the umbra, a dark bite progressively sweeps across the lunar surface.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Accessible transportation options include city buses, taxis and the Las Vegas Monorail that sweeps visitors from the MGM Grand to Sahara Las Vegas.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 19 Feb. 2026
The mayor was still against encampment sweeps nearly a month ago, when CBS News New York showed him pictures of homeless encampments where people were shivering in the dead of winter.
—Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Mysterious wave of bot traffic sweeps the web In recent weeks, websites large and small have seen dramatic spikes in visitors with IP addresses in Lanzhou, China — a manufacturing-heavy city that’s not known as a tech hub — with some of the visits routed through Singapore.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
The mayor subsequently announced bringing back homeless encampments sweeps, in a reversal of his previous anti-sweep stance.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
The police dogs and their handlers also put on 59 public displays and demonstrations for groups throughout Lake County, and the dogs did eight sweeps at schools to help ensure safety and interdict drug use.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The city’s homeless services department will oversee the sweeps and will use continued engagement with the people affected throughout the process.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2026
Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, touted sweeps of makeshift encampments as a centerpiece of his efforts to restore order to the city.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Point Loma Nazarene University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams completed three-game sweeps in Hawaii late Saturday night to remain atop their PacWest Conference races.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
That’s because two years of intense sweeps haven’t moved homeless residents indoors, Hauswald said.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweeps
Verb
-
Oil prices will hinge on a steady resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz following disruptions of tanker activities there, ING analysts wrote.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Clean Gutters Make sure gutters are cleaned regularly so water flows away from your house.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The shoreline curves directly in front of the Anse Chastanet Resort, but non-guests can access via water taxi or a narrow mountain road from Soufrière.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The two-story apartment house, with pink stripes that race around the facade of pink keystone and white stucco, curves around an immaculate courtyard dominated by a date palm and strangler fig tree.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Someone drifts beyond their lane and doesn’t signal.—
Rose Evans
Updated March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Conveniently, the stands chose Bassett, who has occupied a central role for Portland but also drifts wide from time to time.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to weapons, crewmembers had bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and camouflage fatigues, Cuba officials said in a statement.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The wide range reflects differing scopes of work and borrowing assumptions.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Powered by skin-loving ingredients, the formula glides on effortlessly.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The Florida Panthers’ captain and top-line center then glides into the left circle, quickly changes direction and fires toward the net.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The motions of stellar streams contain clues to how our barred spiral galaxy evolved over billions of years, including through collisions with other galactic realms.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Feb. 2026
-
And the restaurant has hosted notables from the realms of politics, sports and culinary greatness.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When including California’s numerous local public pension systems, the total pension debt Californians are responsible for reaches nearly $270 billion.—
Mariana Trujillo,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Richard Branson’s company is the only one left helping wealthy tourists explore the outer reaches of our atmosphere via suborbital flight—with its only competitor bowing out recently, with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin announcing in January it would be stopped its space tourism endeavors.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Claimed ranges reach 870 miles with speeds up to Mach 13–15.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Cloud cover ranges from scattered to broken cloud cover; generally, 30% to no more than 70%.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sweeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweeps. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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