Definition of sweep - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
cleaningtr./intr. clean a surface using a broom or brushtr./intr.
- She sweeps the kitchen floor every morning.
2.
movementtr./intr. move in a wide, smooth arctr./intr.
- The dancer swept across the stage gracefully.
3.
removaltr. remove something completely and quicklytr.
- He swept the papers off the desk in frustration.
4.
surveytr. move eyes or lights across an areatr.
- The lighthouse beam swept the horizon.
5.
investigationtr. search a place methodicallytr.
- The police swept the area for evidence.
6.
motionintr. travel quickly or forcefullyintr.
- The storm swept through the town overnight.
7.
sportstr. US win all games in a seriestr. US
- The team swept the finals with ease.
8.
curlingintr. TECH. brush the ice in front of a curling stoneintr. TECH.
- They swept vigorously to guide the stone.
Noun
1.
cleaning actionact of cleaning an area with a broom
- The morning sweep of the shop floor took an hour..
2.
motionmovement in an arc
- The dancer's sweep was graceful.
3.
extentwide scope or range
- The sweep of the project was ambitious.
4.
landscapeexpanse or swath of land
- The sweep of the valley was breathtaking.
5.
chimneyUK person who cleans soot from chimneysUK
- The sweep arrived to clean the chimney.
6.
roaddirection of a curve or road
- The road had a gentle sweep to the left.
7.
cricketTECH. UK batsman's shot played with a horizontal batTECH. UK
- He scored with a sweep to the boundary.
8.
securityTECH. US methodical search for bugsTECH. US
- They conducted a sweep for hidden cameras.
9.
geographyTECH. flow of water parallel to shoreTECH.
- The sweep carried the boat along the coast.
10.
martial artsTECH. throw using legs in martial artsTECH.
- He executed a sweep to take down his opponent.
11.
aviationTECH. the degree of an aircraft's wing angleTECH.
- The jet's sweep affects its speed.
Images of sweep
expanse or swath of land
Expressions with sweep
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move something to the side with a sweeping motion
She swept aside the papers on the desk.
remove something by sweeping
She swept away the dust from the floor.
remove something from a surface with a sweeping motion
She swept off the dust from the table.
remove dirt or debris by sweeping
She will sweep out the garage this afternoon.
carry someone forward with a crowd or force
The crowd swept him along to the exit.
seduce someone romantically with charm and affection
He managed to sweep her off her feet on their first date!
hide a mistake or problem instead of dealing with it honestly
The company tried to sweep the data breach under the rug.
clean the floor using a broom
She swept the floor with a broom after the party.
remove crumbs or debris from a table
She swept the table after dinner.
move quickly and powerfully through an area
The storm swept through the town, leaving chaos in its wake..
hide an unpleasant issue to avoid dealing with it
They tried to sweep the scandal under the carpet before elections.
clean a surface using a broom
She will sweep up the kitchen floor.
win an election with a large majority
The new president swept into office with 70% of the vote.
hide or ignore problems instead of dealing with them openly
They tried to sweep the mistake under the carpet to avoid blame.
win an election by a large margin
The party managed to sweep the polls in the recent election.
winning all games or prizes in a competition
The team made a clean sweep of the championship.
all at once without stopping or dividing
She cleaned the room in one sweep.
win all the possible prizes or contests
The team made a clean sweep at the championship, winning all the matches.
new people make many changes at first
New brooms sweep clean, so expect some changes at work.
move swiftly and forcefully in a direction
The river swept along the fallen leaves.
move quickly and suddenly downward toward something
The eagle swept down on its prey.
enter a place quickly and confidently
She swept into the room with a smile.
cause someone to fall in love quickly
He swept her off her feet with his charm and kindness.
make someone fall in love quickly
He swept her off her feet with his charm.
Origin of sweep
Old English, swapan (to sweep)
Terms with sweep included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
flowing action
to flow or sweep over a surface or area
match sweep
win all the games in a series
cleaning
sweep a floor using a long-handled brush
tournament sweep
winning all major events in a sports season
astronomy
planets sweep equal areas in equal times
sports
long racing shell crewed by a full complement of sweep rowers
dance
circular leg sweep move in dance or gymnastics
music
tonal sweep by varying phase of audio signals
Examples of sweep in a sentence
The janitor sweeps the hallway after school. The eagle swept down to catch its prey. Leaves swept across the yard in the wind. She swept the crumbs off the table swiftly. The janitor swept the leaves from the sidewalk. Her eyes swept the room for any signs of danger.
The searchlight swept the dark waters. Security teams sweep the building every night. They swept the office for any hidden devices. A cold wind swept across the field. The troops swept into the capital at dawn. They managed to sweep the championship series. Our team aims to sweep the tournament this year. The team swept the ice to speed up the stone. Players must sweep quickly to influence the stone's path. A quick sweep of the porch was needed. The sweep of the kitchen took longer than expected. The artist captured the sweep of the landscape beautifully. The sweep of the sword was swift and precise. The sweep of the landscape was breathtaking. Her research covered a broad sweep of topics. The vast sweep of farmland stretched to the horizon. A sweep of desert lay beyond the mountains. The sweep was covered in soot after work. Hiring a sweep is essential for winter preparation. The highway's broad sweep leads toward the coast. We followed the sweep of the lane through the valley. His sweep shot was perfectly timed. The batsman executed a sweep to score runs. The sweep revealed no listening devices in the office. A sweep of the area was done to ensure security. The sweep of the current was strong near the shore. Fishermen rely on the sweep to bring in their catch. The sweep knocked the rival off his feet. A swift sweep ended the match quickly. The aircraft's sweep determines its aerodynamic efficiency. Engineers adjusted the sweep for better performance.
View all translations of sweep
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:balayer, balayage, ...
- German:fegen, Fegen, ...
- Italian:spazzare, spazzata, ...
- Spanish:barrer, barrido, ...
- Portuguese:varrer, limpeza, ...
- Chinese:打扫, 扫动, ...
- Japanese:掃く, 掃除, ...
- Arabic:كَنَسَ, كَنْس, ...
- Hebrew:לְטַאֲטֵא, טֵאטוּא, ...
- Russian:подметать, уборка, ...
- Ukrainian:підмітати, підмітання, ...
- Hindi:झाड़ू लगाना, झाड़ू, ...
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