1
a
: moving or extending in a wide curve or over a wide area
b
: having a curving line or form
2
a
: extensive
sweeping reforms
b
: marked by wholesale and indiscriminate inclusion
sweeping generalities
sweepingly
adverb
sweepingness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sweeping in a Sentence
Noun
The porch needs a good sweeping.
Adjective
a sweeping view of the valley
He dismissed the idea with a sweeping motion of his arm.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 5 Mar. 2024
Someone who, having woken from Trump’s spell, would cast aside their fear and old grievances to send the political equivalent of the Rohirrim sweeping into the battle to save Middle-earth.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Vacuuming or sweeping can remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs effectively.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
But the hole at the top of the handle for storage was an appreciated extra, and the efficient sweeping of debris made this broom a good value.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024
Keep on top of sweeping and vacuuming to prevent your pet from stepping on them around the tree.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 18 Dec. 2023
The idea to do a sweeping, Ken Burns-style doc series about John F. Kennedy came to Gleckman early in the pandemic.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
The National Weather Service said that heavy snow could disrupt travel plans in the northern and central Rockies and High Plains on Thursday, with cold air from the Arctic sweeping over much of the northern parts of the country.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
The Trinity League rivals split league meetings with each sweeping on its home court.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The film also explores the former glory and sweeping destruction of Detroit’s storied Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 13 Apr. 2024
Politics San Diego’s streets have deteriorated sharply, a sweeping new survey shows.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Geopolitical conflicts like the wars in Ukraine and Israel, rising oil and gas prices, and uncertainty surrounding U.S. fiscal spending and elections are all factors that have kept Dimon cautious about the economic outlook — and stopped him from making sweeping predictions.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
The decision will have sweeping consequences for prenatal medical care.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The space takes in the sweeping Bay, East Bay hills and golf course views.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
The sweeping motions around my jaw, neck, and cheeks erased it all.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024
Regardless of the questionable merits of Berliner’s sweeping conclusions, his piece has been nothing short of a massive gift to the right, which has made vilifying the news media its top priority in recent years.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
Street sweeping is set to resume Tuesday — and could look a little differently this year.
—Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 5 Mar. 2024
Someone who, having woken from Trump’s spell, would cast aside their fear and old grievances to send the political equivalent of the Rohirrim sweeping into the battle to save Middle-earth.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Vacuuming or sweeping can remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs effectively.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
But the hole at the top of the handle for storage was an appreciated extra, and the efficient sweeping of debris made this broom a good value.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2024
Keep on top of sweeping and vacuuming to prevent your pet from stepping on them around the tree.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 18 Dec. 2023
The idea to do a sweeping, Ken Burns-style doc series about John F. Kennedy came to Gleckman early in the pandemic.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
The National Weather Service said that heavy snow could disrupt travel plans in the northern and central Rockies and High Plains on Thursday, with cold air from the Arctic sweeping over much of the northern parts of the country.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
The Trinity League rivals split league meetings with each sweeping on its home court.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
At some point in the evening, Baker and Rose began idly discussing the idea of launching a balloon into space with a camera onboard to capture a sweeping panorama of Earth.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The film also explores the former glory and sweeping destruction of Detroit’s storied Black Bottom and Paradise Valley neighborhoods.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 13 Apr. 2024
Politics San Diego’s streets have deteriorated sharply, a sweeping new survey shows.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Geopolitical conflicts like the wars in Ukraine and Israel, rising oil and gas prices, and uncertainty surrounding U.S. fiscal spending and elections are all factors that have kept Dimon cautious about the economic outlook — and stopped him from making sweeping predictions.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
The decision will have sweeping consequences for prenatal medical care.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The space takes in the sweeping Bay, East Bay hills and golf course views.
—David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
The sweeping motions around my jaw, neck, and cheeks erased it all.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024
Regardless of the questionable merits of Berliner’s sweeping conclusions, his piece has been nothing short of a massive gift to the right, which has made vilifying the news media its top priority in recent years.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweeping.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sweeping
Cite this Entry
“Sweeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeping. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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