Illustration of sweep
- sweep 1a
sweep
1 of 2verb
ˈswēp 
swept ˈswept ; sweeping
; sweeping transitive verb
1
a
: to remove from a surface with or as if with a broom or brush
swept the crumbs from the table
b
: to destroy completely : wipe out —usually used with away
everything she cherished, might be swept away overnight
Louis Bromfield
Louis Bromfield c
: to remove or take with a single continuous forceful action
swept the books off the desk
d
: to remove from sight or consideration
the problem can't be swept under the rug
e
: to drive or carry along with irresistible force
a wave of protest that swept the opposition into office
2
a
: to clean with or as if with a broom or brush
b
: to clear by repeated and forcible action
c
: to move across or along swiftly, violently, or overwhelmingly
fire swept the business district Amer. Guide Series: Md.
Amer. Guide Series: Md. d
: to win an overwhelming victory in or on
sweep the elections
e
: to win all the games or contests of
sweep a double-header
sweep a series
3
: to touch in passing with a swift continuous movement
4
: to trace or describe the locus or extent of (something, such as a line, circle, or angle)
5
: to cover the entire range of
his eyes swept the horizon
intransitive verb
1
a
: to clean a surface with or as if with a broom
b
: to move swiftly, forcefully, or devastatingly
the wind swept through the treetops
2
: to go with stately or sweeping movements
proudly swept into the room
3
: to move or extend in a wide curve or range
sweep
2 of 2noun
1
: something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion: such as
a
: a long pole or timber pivoted on a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well
b
: a triangular cultivator blade that cuts off weeds under the soil surface
c
: a windmill sail
2
a
: an instance of sweeping
especially : a clearing out or away with or as if with a broom
b
: the removal from the table in one play in casino of all the cards by pairing or combining
c
: an overwhelming victory
d
: a winning of all the contests or prizes in a competition
e
: a wide-ranging search of an area (as by police)
3
a
: a movement of great range and force
b
: a curving or circular course or line
c
: the compass of a sweeping movement : scope
d
: a broad unbroken area or extent
a sweep of wildflowers
e
: an end run in football in which one or more linemen pull back and run interference for the ballcarrier
4
: chimney sweep
5
: sweepstakes
6
: obliquity with respect to a reference line
sweep of an airplane wing
especially : sweepback
7
sweeps plural : a television ratings period during which surveys are taken to determine advertising rates
Synonyms
Verb
- bowl
- breeze
- brush
- coast
- cruise
- drift
- flow
- glide
- roll
- sail
- skim
- slide
- slip
- stream
- whisk
Noun
- ambit
- amplitude
- breadth
- compass
- confines
- dimension(s)
- extent
- range
- reach
- realm
- scope
- width
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He swept the dirt off the driveway. He swept the crumbs from the table. I need to sweep the kitchen. Are you finished sweeping the porch? A storm swept across the plains. Fires swept through the forest. She proudly swept into the room. The limo swept up to the door. He swept the curtains aside. She swept the books off the desk. Noun Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople. See More
Recent Examples on the Web San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 Tyler Anderson dominates as the Dodgers sweep the Padres for their eighth consecutive win. Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2022 More than 88,000 Duke customers are without power as thunderstorms sweep through Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 6 July 2022 As Taliban militants sweep across Afghanistan, concerns are growing for the toll on the country’s civilians, particularly women and girls. Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 12 Aug. 2021 After police raids sweep Changchun City, comic book illustrator Daxiong, a Falun Gong follower, is forced to flee and finds refuge in North America. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 Pull out the oven drawer, sweep up any messes, or use a hand vacuum to get in all the crevices. Alicia Chilton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Kevin Pelton predicts that the Storm will sweep the series. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2022 But White House officials said the intelligence community underestimated how quickly Taliban fighters would overpower Afghan forces and sweep into Kabul. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2022 Jerry Beach, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2022 On Friday, police and university officials conducted a sweep of the dorms with K-9 units, according to CNN affiliate WUSA9. Jacquelyne Germain, CNN, 28 Aug. 2022 The third-seeded Pumas were stunned in the first round of the playoffs, but had an incredible regular season that featured a sweep over Hamilton. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 27 Aug. 2022 Ultimately, there was no need to keep up with the Nets, whose implosion has been well chronicled, including the first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2022 In the second quarter, Joe Lott scored from 9 yards out on a speed sweep around left end. Randy Kennedy, al, 26 Aug. 2022 The Marlins, who are 54-70, rebounded from the L.A. sweep by winning two of three against Oakland over the weekend. John Scheibe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022 The hearing comes after residents filed a lawsuit and asked a federal judge to halt the sweep. Sarah Ravani, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2022 Ramírez’s third multi-homer game of the season and seven dominant shutout innings from Cal Quantrill led Cleveland to a 7-0 win and a two-game series sweep of the Padres. Joe Noga, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2022 See More
Verb
Jacob deGrom pitched seven shutout innings to lower his ERA to 1.66 and Francisco Lindor drove in three runs as visiting New York beat Pittsburgh 10-0 to sweep a doubleheader. San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 Tyler Anderson dominates as the Dodgers sweep the Padres for their eighth consecutive win. Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2022 More than 88,000 Duke customers are without power as thunderstorms sweep through Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 6 July 2022 As Taliban militants sweep across Afghanistan, concerns are growing for the toll on the country’s civilians, particularly women and girls. Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 12 Aug. 2021 After police raids sweep Changchun City, comic book illustrator Daxiong, a Falun Gong follower, is forced to flee and finds refuge in North America. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 Pull out the oven drawer, sweep up any messes, or use a hand vacuum to get in all the crevices. Alicia Chilton, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2022 Kevin Pelton predicts that the Storm will sweep the series. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2022 But White House officials said the intelligence community underestimated how quickly Taliban fighters would overpower Afghan forces and sweep into Kabul. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2022 Noun
Germán Márquez outpitched Max Scherzer, allowing one hit over seven innings and denying the New York Mets’ ace his 200th career win as the Colorado Rockies eked out a 1-0 victory Sunday to prevent a four-game sweep by the NL East leaders. Jerry Beach, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2022 On Friday, police and university officials conducted a sweep of the dorms with K-9 units, according to CNN affiliate WUSA9. Jacquelyne Germain, CNN, 28 Aug. 2022 The third-seeded Pumas were stunned in the first round of the playoffs, but had an incredible regular season that featured a sweep over Hamilton. Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 27 Aug. 2022 Ultimately, there was no need to keep up with the Nets, whose implosion has been well chronicled, including the first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2022 In the second quarter, Joe Lott scored from 9 yards out on a speed sweep around left end. Randy Kennedy, al, 26 Aug. 2022 The Marlins, who are 54-70, rebounded from the L.A. sweep by winning two of three against Oakland over the weekend. John Scheibe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2022 The hearing comes after residents filed a lawsuit and asked a federal judge to halt the sweep. Sarah Ravani, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2022 Ramírez’s third multi-homer game of the season and seven dominant shutout innings from Cal Quantrill led Cleveland to a 7-0 win and a two-game series sweep of the Padres. Joe Noga, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English swepen; akin to Old English swāpan to sweep, Old High German sweifen to wander
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing sweep
Kids Definition
sweep 1 of 2
verb
ˈswēp
swept
ˈswept
; sweeping 1
: to remove with a broom or brush
Please sweep up the dirt.
2
: to clean by removing loose dirt or small trash with a broom or brush
I need to sweep the floor.
3
: to move over or across swiftly often with force or destruction
Fire swept the village.
4
: to move or gather as if with a broom or brush
I swept the money from the table.
5
: to move the eyes or an instrument through a wide curve
They swept the hill for some sign of the enemy.
6
: to touch a surface of quickly
The musician's fingers swept the piano keys.
7
: to drive along with steady force
Debris was swept away by the tide.
8
: to become suddenly very popular throughout
It's a show that is sweeping the nation.
9
: to achieve a complete or easy victory
sweep
2 of 2noun
1
: a curving movement, course, or line
I brushed it away with a sweep of my hand.
2
: an act or instance of cleaning with a broom or brush
3
: a wide stretch or curve of land
4
: something that sweeps or works with a sweeping motion
5
: a complete or easy victory
6
: range entry 1 sense 2, scope
The island was outside the sweep of our vision.
7
: chimney sweep
sweep 1 of 2
verb
1
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily the wind swept across the plain without respite Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- flow
- drift
- brush
- glide
- slip
- sail
- cruise
- slide
- roll
- coast
- speed
- breeze
- bowl
- rush
- race
- fly
- stream
- skim
- whisk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- struggle
- limp
- stumble
- shuffle
- flounder
- trudge
- stomp
- plod
- stamp
- lumber
- labor
- tramp
- stump
- toil
- shamble
2
as in to curve
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
- curve
- round
- arc
- turn
- wind
- bow
- bend
- hook
- curl
- arch
- trend
- fall off
- swerve
- crook
- spiral
- wheel
- circle
- loop
- twist
- coil
- deviate
- veer
- curlicue
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- straighten
sweep
2 of 2noun
as in scope
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
- scope
- confines
- extent
- reach
- realm
- range
- width
- amplitude
- breadth
- compass
- ambit
- spectrum
- spread
- circle
- gamut
- dimension(s)
- field
- department
- sphere
- region
- domain
- discipline
- panorama
- province
- element
- specialty
- terrain
- bailiwick
- horizon
- frontier
- fiefdom
- fief
- demesne
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of sweep are compass, gamut, orbit, range, and scope. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.
the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity
In some situations, the words compass and sweep are roughly equivalent. However, compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.
your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study
While in some cases nearly identical to sweep, gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.
a performance that ran the gamut of emotions
While the synonyms orbit and sweep are close in meaning, orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.
within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change
The words range and sweep can be used in similar contexts, but range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.
the entire range of human experience
The words scope and sweep are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.
as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened