sweep

¹ American  

[sweep] / swip /

verb (used with object)

• sweeps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swept,
  past participle,  past
• sweeping
  present participle

1. to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.

2. to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.

3. to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave.

   The wind swept the snow into drifts.

4. to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement.

   The painter swept a brush over his canvas.

5. to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.

6. to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often followed byof ).

   to sweep a sea of enemy ships.

7. to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc..

   sandstorms sweeping the plains.

8. to search (an area or building) thoroughly.

   Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.

9. to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.).

   His eyes swept the countryside.

10. to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like.

    He swept his eyes over the countryside.

11. to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.

12. to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest).

    Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.

13. to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests).

    The Yankees swept the three-game series.

14. Music.

    1. to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.

    2. to bring forth (music) thus.

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verb (used without object)

• sweeps,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swept,
  past participle,  past
• sweeping
  present participle

1. to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom.

   The new broom sweeps well.

2. to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually followed by along, down, by, into, etc.).

3. to move or pass in a swift but stately manner.

   Proudly, she swept from the room.

4. to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, especially a wide curve or circuit.

   His glance swept around the room.

5. to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.

6. Aeronautics. (of an airfoil or its leading or trailing edge) to project from the fuselage at an angle rearward or forward of a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

noun

1. the act of sweeping, especially a moving, removing, clearing, etc., by or as if by the use of a broom.

   to give the house a good sweep.

2. the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption.

   the sweep of the wind and the waves.

3. an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.

4. a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.

5. reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about.

   the sweep of a road about a marsh.

6. a continuous extent or stretch.

   a broad sweep of sand.

7. a curving, especially widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.

8. matter removed or gathered by sweeping.

9. Also called well sweep.  a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.

10. a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.

11. an overwhelming victory in a contest.

12. a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.

13. Football. end run.

14. one of the sails of a windmill.

15. Agriculture. any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.

16. Chiefly British. a person employed to clean by sweeping, especially a chimney sweeper.

17. Cards.

    1. Whist. the winning of all the tricks in a hand.

    2. Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.

18. Physics. an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.

sweep ² American  

[sweep] / swip /

noun

Slang.

1. a sweepstakes.

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sweep British  

/ swiːp /

verb

1. to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc

2. (often foll by up) to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc

3. to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly

   cars swept along the road

4. to move in a proud or dignified fashion

   she swept past

5. to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc)

   the news swept through the town

6. (tr) to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey

7. (tr; foll by away or off) to overwhelm emotionally

   she was swept away by his charm

8. (tr) to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc)

   the dress swept along the ground

9. to convey, clear, or abolish, esp with strong or continuous movements

   the sea swept the sandcastle away

   secondary modern schools were swept away

10. (intr) to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle

    the plains sweep down to the sea

11. to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging

12. to search (a room, area, etc) electronically to detect spying devices

13. (tr) to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election

    Labour swept the country

14. cricket to play (a ball) with a sweep

15. (tr) to propel (a boat) with sweeps

16. to conceal (something, esp a problem) in the hope that it will be overlooked by others

17. 1. (in gambling) to win all the cards or money

    2. to win every event or prize in a contest

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noun

1. the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom

2. a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc

   with a sweep of his arms

3. the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves

4. a wide expanse or scope

   the sweep of the plains

5. any curving line or contour

6. cards

   1. the winning of every trick in a hand of whist

   2. the taking, by pairing, of all exposed cards in cassino

7. short for sweepstake

8. cricket a shot in which the ball is hit more or less square on the leg side from a half-kneeling position with the bat held nearly horizontal

9. 1. a long oar used on an open boat

   2. a person steering a surf boat with such an oar

10. any of the sails of a windmill

11. electronics a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube

12. agriculture

    1. a rakelike attachment for the front of a motor vehicle for pushing hay into piles

    2. a triangular blade on a cultivator used to cut through roots below the surface of the soil

13. a curving driveway

14. See chimney sweep

15. another name for swipe

16. 1. an overwhelming victory or success

    2. a complete change; purge

       to make a clean sweep

sweep Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sweep

• (sweep) off someone's feet
• make a clean sweep
• new broom sweeps clean

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sweepable
  adjective
• sweepy
  adjective
• unsweepable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• sweeping
  present
• swept
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sweep
  simple
• sweeps
  simple
• have swept
  perfect
• has swept
  perfect
• am sweeping
  progressive
• are sweeping
  progressive
• is sweeping
  progressive
• have been sweeping
  perfect progressive
• has been sweeping
  perfect progressive

Past

• swept
  simple
• had swept
  perfect
• was sweeping
  progressive
• were sweeping
  progressive
• had been sweeping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sweep
  simple
• will have swept
  perfect
• will be sweeping
  progressive
• will have been sweeping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sweep¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English swepen (verb); compare Old English geswēpa “sweepings,” derivative of swāpan “to sweep” or directly from obsolete English swope ); cognate with German schweifen

Origin of sweep²

By shortening

Explanation

When you use a broom to clean the floor, you sweep. You also sweep when you move in a smooth, confident way, like when you sweep onto the dance floor in a dazzling new outfit. A barber sweeps up hair from the the barber shop floor, and your melodramatic brother sweeps his homework off his desk with his arm when he's frustrated. You can also use sweepfor things that move fast, like a car sweeping down a driveway or fire that sweeps through a forest. Informally, sweep also means "to win every contest," like when your favorite team sweeps the World Series. This usage comes from an older meaning, "winning all hands in a card game."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sweep sweeps swept sweeping

The right-hander brought the urgency to the mound that the Dodgers were missing during an abysmal 5-11 stretch that ended with a sweep against the Colorado Rockies this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

In the sweep and welter of its subject matter—dogma, history, fact, law, justice, anecdote, theory, prophecy—it almost suggests the Bible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

One sweep too many at Usman resulted in a skied top-edge.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

"Stay away from beaches and coastal areas where rough surf and rip currents could sweep you away," it added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

“And if you had somebody to sweep up this hair, that’s what he’d be doing right now!”

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

The harvester sweeps along, filling a large trailer with cider apples that Neil and his team have spent all year trying to grow, only to throw away.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

As this bubble grows, it sweeps outward and destroys dust in its path.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

In its sports division, Disney saw a bigger operating profit decline than it previously forecast due to four-game sweeps in the NBA basketball playoffs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The drop of more than 3.7 million boardings last year was due in part to the immigration sweeps that began at the beginning of the month, so numbers were expected to be higher this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

I arrange my face in the middle of the book, my hair spread like seaweed floating in the current of the story that sweeps me under and away to sleep.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

And by Monday, rumors swept through Wall Street on what other steps the government could take.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The Dodgers swept the three-game weekend series against the supposed contenders behind three starting pitchers who will lead off the playoffs yet who would not all be here if Walter didn’t own the joint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

“Winnings that get swept into a brokerage account are the tell,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Europe has been swept by weeks of devastating wildfires fuelled by dry conditions and a historically hot summer, with France, Greece, Portugal and Spain also battling major fires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Cars and trucks were upended and swept up in piles like Matchbox cars.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

A sweeping agreement with startup Poolside aims to build an open artificial-intelligence ecosystem in the U.S. that would compete with Chinese heavyweights and American AI giants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

He has also released two sweeping executive orders on elections, but their major provisions have been so far blocked by federal courts.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Bass came in as the clear favorite after toying with City Councilmember Nithya Raman the two times they faced off on the debate stage during the primary, as easily as the Dodgers sweeping the Angels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

In a sweeping, very entertaining investigative account, Dan Kois delves into the history and benefits of bar soap and why it’s worth fighting for.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

My eyes start sweeping the ground for any more surprise containers of food.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• pass
• sail
• tear