- present participle of sweep.
sweeping
Americanadjective
-
of wide range or scope.
- Synonyms:
- comprehensive, broad, extensive
-
moving or passing about over a wide area.
a sweeping glance.
-
moving, driving, or passing steadily and forcibly on.
-
(of the outcome of a contest) decisive; overwhelming; complete.
a sweeping victory.
adjective
-
comprehensive and wide-ranging
sweeping reforms
-
indiscriminate or without reservations
sweeping statements
-
decisive or overwhelming
a sweeping victory
-
taking in a wide area
a sweeping glance
-
driving steadily onwards, esp over a large area
a sweeping attack
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sweeping
Explanation
Something that's sweeping is wide-ranging or thorough. A political candidate might campaign on promises to bring sweeping change to a country. Sweeping things can be extensive, like the sweeping powers a president has in a dictatorship, or curving, like the sweeping motion a dancer makes with his arm. Sweeping can also mean "overly broad," so if you make a sweeping generalization, you take a general idea or rule and apply it too widely, without allowing any exceptions to it.
Vocabulary lists containing sweeping
Spy School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Lion of Mars
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The closure was part of sweeping changes to Tyson’s business, including scrapping another slaughter facility in Illinois and plans to sell a plant in Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
The sweeping decision comes more than 20 years after Newsom emerged in the national consciousness when, as mayor of San Francisco, he defied federal law and allowed same-sex marriages in the City by the Bay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
After the 2019 protests were curbed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the sweeping security law, Wong was a leading target in the crackdown on dissent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Its sweeping landscapes and fantastical imagery reminded him of The Lord of the Rings and The Lion King.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
He walked back to the doorway, his hands sweeping over the field.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
In a statement Banksy jokes: "While the unauthorised Banksy shows might look like sweepings from my studio floor, CUT & RUN really is the actual sweepings from my studio floor."
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2023
It’s peanut sweepings, as Homer Simpson would say.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 20, 2022
But sweepings demands for a more equitable society were left for later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2020
“The paper of ‘A sketch of the viscera,’ c.1515–16, contains fragments of wood chips, hair, wool and insect parts, possibly sweepings from the mill floor,” explains the Royal Collection, in its statement.
From Fox News ● Jan. 29, 2019
Scarcely knowing where he stepped, he blundered his way to the far end of the courtyard and spread his sweepings on a sun-warmed sheep hide to dry.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
