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Synonyms

sweeping

American  
[swee-ping] / ˈswi pɪŋ /

adjective

  1. of wide range or scope.

    Synonyms:
    comprehensive, broad, extensive

  2. moving or passing about over a wide area.

    a sweeping glance.

  3. moving, driving, or passing steadily and forcibly on.

  4. (of the outcome of a contest) decisive; overwhelming; complete.

    a sweeping victory.

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that sweeps.

  2. sweepings, matter swept out or up, as dust, refuse, etc.

sweeping British  
/ ˈswiːpɪŋ /

adjective

  1. comprehensive and wide-ranging

    sweeping reforms

  2. indiscriminate or without reservations

    sweeping statements

  3. decisive or overwhelming

    a sweeping victory

  4. taking in a wide area

    a sweeping glance

  5. driving steadily onwards, esp over a large area

    a sweeping attack
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • sweepingly adverb
  • sweepingness noun

Etymology

Origin of sweeping

First recorded in 1470–80; sweep 1 + -ing 2, -ing 1

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.

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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.

For a decade, Benin's new president Romuald Wadagni has been the behind-the-scenes architect of sweeping economic reforms that have led to one of the strongest growth rates in west Africa.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Within days, Zelenskyy extended similar agreements to the UAE and Qatar, sweeping the western shore of the Persian Gulf in a single diplomatic sprint.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Orbán's rule was built up through four successive election victories and sweeping majorities, but it was over in a matter of minutes.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Pre-1942, she struggled to incorporate details into her sweeping landscapes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

I gave it a good sweeping and I watered all of her flowers.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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.