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upsweep

American  
[uhp-sweep, uhp-sweep] / ʌpˈswip, ˈʌpˌswip /

verb (used with object)

upswept, upsweeping
  1. to sweep upward.


verb (used without object)

upswept, upsweeping
  1. to be arranged in an upsweep.

noun

  1. a sweeping upward, as an increase in elevation or a steep slope.

  2. a hairdo produced by having the hair combed or brushed upward to the top of the head; an upswept hairdo.

  3. a strongly pronounced rise in activity, as in business.

  4. a curved shape of the lower jaw of some animals.

upsweep British  

noun

  1. a curve or sweep upwards

  2. an upswept hairstyle

"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

verb

  1. to sweep, curve, or brush or be swept, curved, or brushed upwards

"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

Etymology

Origin of upsweep

First recorded in 1885–90; up- + sweep 1


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:

One, Meredith Monk, recalled how Ms. Slavenska would enter the studio: leggings under a fur coat and a beautiful upsweep.

From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2015

Removing the chopsticks that held her dark waist-length hair in an upsweep, Ms. Lee beamed mischief.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2010

The Emiles reported no grey hairs on either side; achieved a soft upsweep wave over the ears that fetched applause from newshens.

From Time Magazine Archive

Of course it may be harder and may not pay as much as people are used to, but I think you're going to see an upsweep.

From Time Magazine Archive

It showed a woman in a black sequined shawl with gray-streaked hair worn in a dramatic upsweep.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

He writes, “That upsweeping electric hair is the poet’s helmet, his rooster comb.”

From New York Times ● May 25, 2011

Eagerly I marked the flowing undulations of their firm, braided muscles, their strong legs, ears, eyes, heads, their graceful rounded necks, the color of their hair, and the bold, upsweeping curves of their noble horns.

From The Mountains of California by John Muir

Far beyond, between its lofty skeleton towers and upsweeping side webs, appeared, in seemingly reduced proportions, the towers and webs of the north cantilever, across on the north edge of the channel of the strait.

From Out of the Primitive by Robert Ames Bennet

His regal commanding blasts, his upsweeping marching violins, his pompous and majestic orchestra, existed in the American scene.

From Musical Portraits Interpretations of Twenty Modern Composers by Paul Rosenfeld

Never mind that it was said to have been dreamed up by kids at a soda fountain that Short frequented and referred mainly to her upswept hairdo.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

It's reminiscent of a cooking wok or the upswept eaves of a Chinese temple.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025

Ryan Nelson renders upswept hair with precisely inked lines in his depiction of a woman that focuses on her bouffant.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2022

A black-and-white photo on display at the memorial, taken in Lima around 1950, showed an elegant young woman in a beautifully fitted jacket, gloves and upswept hat, gazing confidently at the camera.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2022

She also had ridiculous, garish makeup caked on her face, and an elaborate, upswept hairdo.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

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