sweep
sweep [sweep sweeps swept sweeping] verb, noun BrE [swiːp] NAmE [swiːp]
verb (swept, sweptBrE [swept] ; NAmE [swept] )
WITH BRUSH OR HAND
1. transitive, intransitive to clean a room, surface, etc. using a ↑broom (= a type of brush on a long handle)
•~ (sth) to sweep the floor
• Chimneys should be swept regularly.
•~ sth + adj. The showroom had been emptied and swept clean.
2. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to remove sth from a surface using a brush, your hand, etc
• She swept the crumbs into the wastebasket.
• He swept the leaves up into a pile.
•She swept the clothes onto the floor and invited him to sit down.
MOVE QUICKLY/WITH FORCE
3. transitive ~ sb/sth + adv./prep. to move or push sb/sth suddenly and with a lot of force
• The little boat was swept out to sea.
• Their tent was swept away in the storm.
•She let herself be swept along by the crowd.
4. intransitive, transitive (of weather, fire, etc.)to move suddenly and/or with force over an area or in a particular direction
•+ adv./prep. Rain swept in through the broken windows.
•A fire swept through the store on Tuesday night.
•~ sth Strong winds regularly sweep the islands.
OF A PERSON
5. intransitive + adv./prep. to move quickly and/or smoothly, especially in a way that impresses or is intended to impress other people
•Without another word she swept out of the room.
• (figurative)He swept into the lead with an almost perfect performance.
6. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to move sth, especially your hand or arm, quickly and smoothly in a particular direction
•He rushed to greet her, sweeping his arms wide.
OF FEELINGS
7. intransitive + adv./prep. to suddenly affect sb strongly
•A wave of tiredness swept over her.
•Memories came sweeping back.
OF IDEAS/FASHIONS
8. intransitive, transitive to spread quickly
•+ adv./prep. Rumours of his resignation swept through the company.
•~ sth the latest craze sweeping America
LOOK/MOVE OVER AREA
9. intransitive, transitive to move over an area, especially in order to look for sth
•+ adv./prep. His eyes swept around the room.
•The car headlights swept across the front of the building.
•~ sth Searchlights swept the sky.
•She swept the crowd with her binoculars.
TOUCH SURFACE
10. transitive ~ sth to move, or move sth, over a surface, touching it lightly
•Her dress swept the ground as she walked.
HAIR
11. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to brush, ↑comb, etc. your hair in a particular direction
•Her hair was swept back from her face.
OF LANDSCAPE
12. intransitive + adv./prep. to form a long smooth curve
•The hotel gardens sweep down to the beach.
IN SPORT
13. transitive ~ sth (NAmE)to win all the games in a series of games against another team or all the parts of a contest
•The Blue Jays have a chance to sweep the series.
•New Jersey swept Detroit last season.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English swāpan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German schweifen ‘sweep in a curve’.
Example Bank:
•A pair of golden eagles swept across the sky.
•She swept a hand through her hair.
•The traveller swept a hand toward the endless expanse of water.
•Two police motorcycles swept through the village.
•Without another word, she swept out of the room.
•to sweep the floor/street/stairs
Idioms: ↑sweep somebody off their feet ▪ ↑sweep something under the carpet ▪ ↑sweep the board ▪ ↑sweep to power ▪ ↑sweep to victory
Derived: ↑sweep somebody away ▪ ↑sweep somebody up ▪ ↑sweep something aside ▪ ↑sweep something away ▪ ↑sweep something out
noun
WITH BRUSH
1. countable, usually singular an act of cleaning a room, surface, etc. using a ↑broom
•Give the room a good sweep.
CURVING MOVEMENT
2. countable a smooth curving movement
•He indicated the door with a sweep of his arm.
LANDSCAPE
3. countable, usually singular a long, often curved, piece of road, river, coast, etc
•the broad sweep of white cliffs around the bay
RANGE
4. uncountable the range of an idea, a piece of writing, etc. that considers many different things
•Her book covers the long sweep of the country's history.
MOVEMENT/SEARCH OVER AREA
5. countable a movement over an area, for example in order to search for sth or attack sth
•The rescue helicopter made another sweep over the bay.
CHIMNEY
6. countable = ↑chimney sweep
GAMBLING
7. countable (NAmE also sweeps) (informal) = ↑sweepstake
IN SPORT
8. countable (NAmE)a series of games that a team wins against another team; the fact of winning all the parts of a contest
•a World Series sweep
TELEVISION
9. the sweepsplural (NAmE)a time when television companies examine their programmes to find out which ones are the most popular, especially in order to calculate advertising rates
•the May ratings sweeps
see make a clean sweep (of sth) at ↑clean adj.
Word Origin:
Old English swāpan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German schweifen ‘sweep in a curve’.
Example Bank:
•He dismissed his assistant with a grandiose sweep of his hand.
•Her eyes made a comprehensive sweep of the room.
•The house overlooks the great sweep of the St Lawrence River.
•The upward sweep of her hair was held in place by a comb.
•Thousands of jobs were lost in one broad sweep.
•We made a wide sweep south to the River Dee.
•the broad cultural sweep of Flaubert's novel
•with a sweep of his arm
•An elegant sweep of lawn led up to the house.
•There is a broad sweep of white cliffs around the bay.
See also: ↑sweep something under the rug
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