Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   Sweep

   /swēp/

   

   verb

   • 1. clean (an area) by brushing away dirt or litter: "I've swept the floor" Similar brushcleanscrubwipemopdustscourscraperakebuffvacuumhooverinformal:do
   • ▪ move or remove (dirt or litter) by sweeping: "she swept the tea leaves into a dustpan" Similar removewash awayexpeldispose ofeliminateget rid ofbrushcleanclearwhisk
   • ▪ move or push (someone or something) with great force: "I was swept along by the crowd" Similar carrypulldragdrive
   • ▪ brush (hair) back from one's face or upward: "long hair swept up into a high chignon"
   • 2. move swiftly and smoothly: "a large black car swept past the open windows" Similar glidesaildashchargerushstreakspeedflyzoomswoopwhizhurtleinformal:tear
   • ▪ cause to move swiftly and smoothly: "he swept his hand around the room"
   • ▪ (of a person) move in a confident and stately manner: "she swept magnificently from the hall" Similar glidesailstridebreezestrollsallyswaggerdriftflitflounce
   • ▪ affect (an area or place) swiftly and widely: "the rebellion had swept through all four of the country's provinces" Similar engulfoverwhelmfloodflow acrosssurge overracehurtlestreakspread like lightninginformal:tearwhip
   • ▪ (of a geographical or natural feature) extend continuously in a particular direction, especially in a curve: "green forests swept down the hillsides"
   • ▪ win all the games in (a series); take each of the winning or main places in (a contest or event): North American "we knew we had to sweep these three home games"
   • 3. search (an area) for something: "the detective swept the room for hair and fingerprints" Similar searchprobecheckexplorehunt throughlook throughdelve ingo throughsift throughscourcombgo through with a fine-tooth combleave no stone unturned in
   • ▪ examine (a place or object) for electronic listening devices: "the line is swept every fifteen minutes"
   • ▪ cover (an entire area) with a gun: "they were trying to get the Lewis gun up behind some trees from where they would sweep the trench"

   noun

   • 1. an act of sweeping something with a brush: "I was giving the floor a quick sweep"
   • ▪ short for chimney sweep
   • 2. a long, swift curving movement: "a grandiose sweep of his hand" Similar gesturemovementmoveactionstrokewave
   • ▪ the movement of a beam across the screen of a cathode ray tube.
   • 3. a procedure for inducing labor in a pregnant woman, in which a medical practitioner moves a finger around within the opening of the cervix to detach the amniotic membranes: "I went in for a sweep at 41 weeks"
   • 4. a comprehensive search or survey of a place or area: "the police finished their sweep through the woods" Similar searchhuntexplorationprobeforagepursuitquest
   • ▪ a survey of the ratings of broadcast stations, carried out at regular intervals to determine advertising rates. North American
   • 5. a long, typically curved stretch of road, river, or land: "we could see a wide sweep of country perhaps a hundred miles across" Similar expansetractstretchspaceplainextentvastnessvista
   • ▪ a curved part of a driveway in front of a building: "one fork of the driveway continued on to the gravel sweep" Similar curvecurvaturebendarcarchbowturn
   • ▪ the range or scope of something: "the whole sweep of the history of the USSR" Similar rangespanscopecompassreachspreadambitremitgamutorbitspectrumspherepurviewlimitextent
   • 6. a sweepstake. informal
   • 7. an instance of winning every event, award, or place in a contest: North American "a World Series sweep"
   • 8. a long, heavy oar used to row a barge or other vessel: "a big, heavy sweep oar"
   • 9. a sail of a windmill.
   • 10. a long pole mounted as a lever for raising buckets from a well.

   Word Origin Old Englishswāpan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German schweifen ‘sweep in a curve’.

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • S

     1

   • W

     4

   • E

     1

   • E

     1

   • P

     3

   Powered by Oxford Languages

   More Definitions, Word Origin & ScrabbleShow less

2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › sweepSweep Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › sweep

   • Cached

   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word sweep as a verb and a noun, with synonyms, examples, and etymology. Find out how to sweep a surface, a game, a range, or a movement.

3. People also ask

   How do you use sweep in a sentence?

   • Sweep can mean to clean a floor or to move swiftly. Cinderella swept the floors tirelessly every day of her life until she received an invitation to the palace ball. The UFO swept across the sky in the American Southwest, causing alarm and amazement in three states. The verb sweep can also mean to win all the games in a series.

   Sweeped or Swept – Which is Correct? - Writing Explained

   writingexplained.org/sweeped-or-swept-correct

   See all results for this question

   What does sweep mean?

   • Some common synonyms of sweep are compass, gamut, orbit, range, and scope. While all these words mean "the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control)," sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.

   90 Synonyms & Antonyms of SWEEP - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweep

   See all results for this question

   What is the past tense of sweep?

   • The past tense of sweep is swept . The third-person singular simple present indicative form of sweep is sweeps . The present participle of sweep is sweeping . The past participle of sweep is swept . Find more words!

   What is the past tense of sweep? - WordHippo

   www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-past-tense-of/sweep.html

   See all results for this question

4. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishSWEEP | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   Learn the meaning of sweep as a verb and a noun, with synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and phrasal verbs. See how to use sweep in different contexts, such as cleaning, moving, removing, winning, and cricket.

5. www.dictionary.com › browse › sweepSWEEP Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › sweep

   • Cached

   to direct (the eyes, gaze, etc.) over a region, surface, or the like: He swept his eyes over the countryside. to examine electronically, as to search for a hidden listening device. to win a complete or overwhelming victory in (a contest): Johnson swept the presidential election of 1964.

6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › sweepSweep - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › sweep

   sweep. When you use a broom to clean the floor, you sweep. You also sweep when you move in a smooth, confident way, like when you sweep onto the dance floor in a dazzling new outfit.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishSWEEP definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word sweep as a verb and a noun, with examples and synonyms. Sweep can mean to clean, clear, remove, move, win, or form a curve.

8. www.thefreedictionary.com › sweepSweep - definition of sweep by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › sweep

   • Cached

   Learn the meaning and usage of the word sweep in different contexts, such as cleaning, clearing, moving, winning, or extending. Find synonyms, idioms, and related terms for sweep in this comprehensive online dictionary.

9. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitionsweep verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

   • Cached

   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and usage of the verb sweep in English. Find out how to sweep a room, a surface, a person, an idea, a contest and more with pictures and examples.