clean sweep
Americannoun
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an overwhelming or decisive victory, as by a political candidate who wins in all or almost all election districts.
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the winning of all the prizes, rounds, contests, etc., in a competition or of all the games in a series.
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a thorough or sweeping change, especially one effected by the large-scale removal or elimination of unwanted persons or things.
The new president made a clean sweep when he joined the company, replacing all the department heads.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Earlier, Littler's bid for a clean sweep of all major PDC titles in 2026 was ended by a 10-4 defeat by Clayton in the quarter-finals.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
England steamrollered Sri Lanka in the third T20 to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep and return to number one in the world rankings.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
England again demolished the dismal Pakistan batting to move on course for a 3-0 clean sweep on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
England will aim for a 3-0 clean sweep of Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston, beginning on 9 September.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
The deep ruts in the road were frozen and glazed with ice; the wind had a clean sweep across the prairies, a sweep that sometimes seemed about to carry Jethro before it.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
