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Synonyms

swept

American  
[swept] / swɛpt /

verb

  1. simple past tense and past participle of sweep.

adjective

  1. (of a sword guard) made up of curved bars.

swept British  
/ swɛpt /

verb

  1. the past tense of sweep

"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

  • unswept adjective

Etymology

Origin of swept

First recorded in 1550–60, for the adjective

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.

Gunjan helped lead the Journal’s award-winning coverage of retail investing and the meme-stock mania that swept markets in 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

For those trying to find some faith that not everything can be swept under the rug, look no further.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

The pandemic, which swept around the world in 2020, severely strained health systems and disrupted vaccination campaigns, resulting in a resurgence of infectious diseases such as measles and polio.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Some predicted they would be swept, but they could be doing the broom bit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Her eyes swept over the hillside, the forest, the house down below.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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.