🧹 To clean with broom 🌬️ To move smoothly ↩️ A broad movement 🌄 To cover widely 💨 To force suddenly 🏆 To win easily 🧑‍🔧 A chimney cleaner 🏈 A running play 🃏 Win all tricks 🚣 A long oar

to sweep

227 1.0

To clean a floor or surface by brushing away dirt with a broom

verb
/swiːp/

: barrer

I walk on stone, but it must be swept with a broom like any inside floor.
sweep the floor
sweep clean
sweep the yard

He he knocked up a lady that swept out the school bus.

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Examples

And then I started to sweep everything under the carpets.
Would you like me to sweep the guardhouse again, sire?

Love Don’t Fade Away (2023)
Is it possible to sweep and mop your floor?

The Minimalists
Now, your first job every morning will be to sweep this walkway.

Coming to America (1988)
Take the stair basket up, sweep under the chairs, empty the bins upstairs.
Before he moved the desks and swept the floor, he read the blackboard, as usual.

Fiction book (1990)
The broom was in the hallway, and she began sweeping the tile floor in the entryway.

Fiction book (1990)
Every Saturday morning, I make sure to sweep the kitchen floor to keep it clean.
Before the guests arrive, please sweep the patio to remove any dirt or leaves.
During spring cleaning, I need to sweep the entire living room and remove all dust.

Synonyms

to clean

vsto sweep

∞ 1.0

To remove dirt and stains

is the specific action of brushing dirt away rather than other methods

to wipe

vsto sweep

531 1.0

To clean and dry a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or your hand

uses wide strokes to brush dirt off rather than rubbing to clean

to brush

vsto sweep

242 1.0

To move a brush across something to clean or paint it

uses a long handled tool with wider strokes for surfaces

to dust

vsto sweep

66 1.0

To remove small dry particles from a surface by wiping or brushing

focuses on brushing whole surfaces with larger strokes to move debris away

to vacuum

vsto sweep

48 1.7

Clean a floor or carpet with a machine that sucks up dirt

removes dirt by brushing with a long handled tool not by suction

to mop

vsto sweep

37 1.0

To clean a floor with a long handle and wet cloth

cleans by brushing dirt away with a long handled tool not by absorbing liquid

to rake

vsto sweep

28 1.0

To gather leaves or loose soil using a long-handled tool with teeth

is about brushing indoor surfaces to remove dirt not outdoor leaf clearing

to clean the floor

vsto sweep

9 1.0

To remove dirt or spills from the floor using a mop

is about removing dirt by brushing rather than any other method or surface

to wipe up

vsto sweep

8 1.8

To clean a surface using a cloth or towel to remove a spill

focuses on brushing dry debris off rather than removing liquids by rubbing

to mop up

vsto sweep

5 2.6

To remove liquid or dirt from a floor with a cloth

focuses on dry brushing away dirt rather than soaking up liquids

to broom

vsto sweep

4 1.7

To sweep a place using a long-handled brush

focuses on cleaning by brushing dirt or dust away rather than other methods

to sweep out

vsto sweep

1 2.2

To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom

is about cleaning a surface by brushing dirt or dust away

to hoover up

vsto sweep

1 4.3

To clean a carpet or floor using a vacuum cleaner

uses brushing action to move dirt away rather than machine suction

to shake out the rug

vsto sweep

1 2.0

To clean a rug by lifting it and beating dust and crumbs out

uses brushing motions on surfaces rather than lifting and jolting textiles

to brush down

vsto sweep

2.7

To clean dust and dirt from something using quick movements

uses wide strokes with a long handled tool rather than small strokes

to vacuum-clean

vsto sweep

2.1

To clean a carpet or floor with a vacuum cleaner

cleans by brushing dirt off with a long handled tool not by suction

to beat the dust out

vsto sweep

4.4

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

cleans by brushing surfaces rather than dislodging particles by force

Antonyms

to let it alone

2 3.0

Choose not to touch or change something

Idioms

to sweep under the rug

Informal

8 7.7

To hide a problem instead of dealing with it openly

Phrasal Verbs

to sweep off

Informal

21 5.6

To make someone feel a sudden strong feeling, often romantic

to sweep away

16 3.8

To get rid of something completely so it no longer exists

to sweep the floor

14 1.0

To clean the floor by moving dust and dirt with a broom

to sweep over

8 4.6

A strong feeling that affects someone suddenly

to sweep away

7 4.6

To feel very strong emotions that you cannot control

to sweep up

7 5.8

To get carried into a situation and take part without meaning to

to sweep aside

3 4.7

To ignore an opinion or worry as unimportant

to sweep through

2 4.1

To finish something quickly and with little effort

to sweep out

1 2.2

To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom

to sweep away

1 3.9

To destroy or carry something away completely, for example by water

to sweep the board

4.9

Win every prize or game in a competition

to sweep off someone's feet

Informal

4.5

Make someone feel very impressed and strongly attracted

to sweep the deck

2.8

To clean a boat's deck with a broom

Compounds

clean sweep

Informal

5 3.6

A full success when someone wins everything or makes a complete change

sweep hand

Specialized

1 5.5

A long hand on a watch or clock that shows seconds and moves smoothly

sweep oar

Specialized

9.3

A long paddle one person holds with both hands to row a boat

sweep-second

Specialized

8.6

A thin hand on a clock or watch attached at the middle that goes around every minute and moves smoothly

How Thorough

to sanitize

11 3.7

to scrub

55 1.0

to clean

∞ 1.0

to sweep

227 1.0

to brush

242 1.0

Surface Forms

sweep infinitive

sweeping present participle

sweeps third person singular

swept past

swept past participle

Etymology

Sweep comes from an old English word meaning 'to brush' or 'to move' and was used for cleaning with a broom, which makes a long pushing motion. So to sweep a floor is to push dirt away with a broom.