clean sweep

noun

1. an overwhelming or decisive victory, as by a political candidate who wins in all or almost all election districts.

2. the winning of all the prizes, rounds, contests, etc., in a competition or of all the games in a series.

3. 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.

Idioms and Phrases

see make a clean sweep.

Example Sentences

Signs of water damage, and the clean sweep of the pharaoh’s funerary items, suggest the contents of the tomb were rescued from flooding, rather than ransacked by grave robbers, according to Piers Litherland, head of the New Kingdom Research Foundation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In their home summer, Sciver-Brunt oversaw a clean sweep in both white-ball formats against West Indies in her first series in charge but they were subsequently beaten in both series against a far superior India, who are hosting the World Cup with Sri Lanka.

Read more on BBC

But all in all, their track record has been nearly a clean sweep.

Read more on Salon

The Chargers came into the game with wins over Kansas City and Las Vegas, but needed to top Denver for their first 3-0 start since 2002 and a clean sweep of the first half of divisional games.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

World number eight De Minaur then teamed up with American Alex Michelsen in the doubles to beat Casper Ruud and Rune 6-3 6-4 and complete a clean sweep of day two victories for Team World.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• achievement 
• advantage 
• defeat 
• gain 
• grand slam 
• hit 
• sweep 
• triumph 
• winning