sweep

UK: /ˈswiːp/ US: /swip/ ,(swēp)

Inflections of 'sweep' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

sweeps

v 3rd person singular

sweeping

v pres p

swept

v past

swept

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sweep¹ /swip/   v., swept/swɛpt/  sweep•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to remove or clear (dust, dirt, etc.) with a broom, brush, etc., from (a room, floor, etc.): [~ + object]
   He swept the floor with a broom.
   [no object]
   He went on quietly sweeping while the customers argued.
2. to (cause to) move or (cause to) be driven by or as if by some steady force, as a wind or wave: [~ + object]
   The storm swept the boat out to sea.
   [no object]
   She swept into the room.
3. to spread quickly over or through (an area): [~ + object]
   The call for change in politics was sweeping the country.
   [no object]
   Those fashions swept through the country.
4. to clear (a surface, place, etc.):
   [~ + object + of + object] to sweep the sea of enemy ships.
5. to search (an area or building) thoroughly:
   [~ + object] The police swept the building for drug dealers.
6. to pass or draw over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement:
   [~ + object] The painter swept a brush over his canvas.
7. to direct a gaze, the eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.):
   [~ + object] The lookout's binoculars swept the horizon for enemy activity.
8. to move or extend in a wide curve or circuit:
   [no object] His glance swept around the room.
9. to win all games in a series of contests:
   [~ + object] The team swept the last two doubleheaders.

n. [countable]

10. the act of sweeping with or as if with a broom:
    Give the room a good sweep.
11. the steady, driving motion of something:
    the sweep of the wind.
12. a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm or an oar.
13. a continuous extent or stretch:
    a long sweep of empty road.
14. a winning of all the games, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
15. British Terms chimney sweep.

Idioms

16. a clean sweep:
    • a thorough change, esp. by removing unwanted employees:
      The new commissioner promised to reform the department and make a clean sweep of the old bureaucracy.
17. sweep (someone) off one's feet, [~ + object + off + one's feet] to cause (someone) to fall in love or otherwise be overwhelmed:
    When they met he just swept her off her feet.

sweep•er, n. [countable]

sweep² /swip/   n. 

1. Slang Terms sweeps (def. 1).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sweep¹ (swēp),  v., swept, sweep•ing, n. 

v.t. 

1. to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like.
2. to clear or clean (a floor, room, chimney, etc.) of dirt, litter, or the like, by means of a broom or brush.
3. to drive or carry by some steady force, as of a wind or wave:
   The wind swept the snow into drifts.
4. to pass or draw (something) over a surface with a continuous stroke or movement:
   The painter swept a brush over his canvas.
5. to make (a path, opening, etc.) by clearing a space with or as if with a broom.
6. to clear (a surface, place, etc.) of something on or in it (often fol. by of ):
   to sweep a sea of enemy ships.
7. to pass over (a surface, region, etc.) with a steady, driving movement or unimpeded course, as winds, floods, etc.:
   sandstorms sweeping the plains.
8. to search (an area or building) thoroughly:
   Soldiers swept the town, looking for deserters.
9. to pass the gaze, eyes, etc., over (a region, area, etc.):
   His eyes swept the countryside.
10. to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like:
    He swept his eyes over the countryside.
11. Electronics to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device.
12. to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest):
    Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.
13. to win (every game, round, hand, etc., of a series of contests):
    The Yankees swept the three-game series.
14. Music and Dance
    • to pass the fingers or bow over (a musical instrument, its strings or keys, etc.), as in playing.
    • to bring forth (music) thus.

v.i. 

15. to sweep a floor, room, etc., with or as if with a broom:
    The new broom sweeps well.
16. to move steadily and strongly or swiftly (usually fol. by along, down, by, into, etc.).
17. to move or pass in a swift but stately manner:
    Proudly, she swept from the room.
18. to move, pass, or extend in a continuous course, esp. a wide curve or circuit:
    His glance swept around the room.
19. Nautical, Naval Terms to conduct an underwater search by towing a drag under the surface of the water.
20. Aeronautics (of an airfoil or its leading or trailing edge) to project from the fuselage at an angle rearward or forward of a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

n. 

21. the act of sweeping, esp. a moving, removing, clearing, etc., by or as if by the use of a broom:
    to give the house a good sweep.
22. the steady, driving motion or swift onward course of something moving with force or without interruption:
    the sweep of the wind and the waves.
23. Electronics an examination by electronic detection devices of a room or building to determine the presence of hidden listening devices.
24. a swinging or curving movement or stroke, as of the arm, a weapon, an oar, etc.
25. reach, range, or compass, as of something sweeping about:
    the sweep of a road about a marsh.
26. a continuous extent or stretch:
    a broad sweep of sand.
27. a curving, esp. widely or gently curving, line, form, part, or mass.
28. matter removed or gathered by sweeping.
29. Building, Mechanical Engineering Also called well sweep. a leverlike device for raising or lowering a bucket in a well.
30. Nautical, Naval Terms a large oar used in small vessels, sometimes to assist the rudder or to propel the craft.
31. an overwhelming victory in a contest.
32. a winning of all the games, rounds, hands, prizes, etc., in a contest by one contestant.
33. Sport [Football.] See end run. 
34. Mechanical Engineering one of the sails of a windmill.
35. Agriculture any of the detachable triangular blades on a cultivator.
36. British Terms [Chiefly Brit.] a person employed to clean by sweeping, esp. a chimney sweeper.
37. Games [Cards.]
    • [Whist.] the winning of all the tricks in a hand. Cf. slam ² (def. 1).
    • Casino. a pairing or combining, and hence taking, of all the cards on the board.
38. Physics an irreversible process tending towards thermal equilibrium.

• 1250–1300; Middle English swepen (verb, verbal); compare Old English geswēpa sweepings, derivative of swāpan to sweep ( obsolete English swope); cognate with German schweifen

sweep′a•ble, adj. 

sweep² (swēp), n. [Slang.]

1. Slang Terms a sweepstakes.

Also, sweeps. 

• by shortening

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sweep / swiːp/ verb (sweeps, sweeping, swept)

1. to clean or clear (a space, chimney, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
2. (often followed by up) to remove or collect (dirt, rubbish, etc) with a brush, broom, etc
3. to move in a smooth or continuous manner, esp quickly or forcibly: cars swept along the road
4. to move in a proud or dignified fashion: she swept past
5. to spread or pass rapidly across, through, or along (a region, area, etc): the news swept through the town
6. (transitive) to direct (the gaze, line of fire, etc) over; survey
7. (tr; followed by away or off) to overwhelm emotionally: she was swept away by their kindness
8. (transitive) to brush or lightly touch (a surface, etc): the dress swept along the ground
9. (transitive) often followed by away: to convey, clear, or abolish, esp with strong or continuous movements: the sea swept the sand castle away, secondary modern schools were swept away
10. (intransitive) to extend gracefully or majestically, esp in a wide circle: the plains sweep down to the sea
11. to search (a body of water) for mines, etc, by dragging
12. (transitive) to win overwhelmingly, esp in an election: Labour swept the country
13. (transitive) to propel (a boat) with sweeps
14. sweep something under the carpet, rug ⇒ to conceal (something, esp a problem) in the hope that it will be overlooked by others
15. sweep the board ⇒ (in gambling) to win all the cards or money
16. to win every event or prize in a contest

noun

1. the act or an instance of sweeping; removal by or as if by a brush or broom
2. a swift or steady movement, esp in an arc
3. the distance, arc, etc, through which something, such as a pendulum, moves
4. a wide expanse or scope: the sweep of the plains
5. any curving line or contour
6. short for sweepstake
7. a long oar used on an open boat
8. a person steering a surfboat with such an oar
9. any of the sails of a windmill
10. a steady horizontal or circular movement of an electron beam across or around the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube
11. a curving driveway
12. 
    See chimney sweep
13. another name for swipe10
14. clean sweep ⇒ an overwhelming victory or success
15. a complete change; purge: to make a clean sweep

Etymology: 13th Century swepen; related to Old English swāpan, Old Norse sveipa; see swipe, swoop

ˈsweepy adjective