clean sweep
5
3.6
- noun
- /klin swiːp/
- Informal
:
barrida total
- Peter, it was a clean sweep for the defendants.
- make a clean sweep
Examples
-
Sadly, Republicans did not make up for their poor performance in the general election with a clean sweep of the House and Senate.
Blog text (14) -
The first time in 50 years we have a clean sweep in the state.
Blog text (15) -
That looks like a clean sweep, that is.
-
Might as well make it a clean sweep.
-
It's the third straight year for Yamaha, a clean sweep.
-
Consider the Superintendent entered the job vowing to make a clean sweep of the system.
Blog text (13) -
Jan Brewer: A clean sweep for Republicans!
Blog text (19) -
The Lynchburg Hillcats prevented the Dash from finishing off the clean sweep in 2012.
Blog text (34) -
Here, the new president joyfully prepares to make a clean sweep of corruption—ironic, since few in Nigeria actually trusted him or expected him to act as a miracle-working Hercules.
Academic text (2009) -
Madison Keys completed the clean sweep for the American women late yesterday, beating out Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
Antonyms
How Complete
- Informal
5
3.6
792
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'clean' (thorough/complete) with 'sweep' (which can mean to win every contest), so the overall sense 'win everything / a complete victory' is derivable if a learner recognizes the competitive sense of 'sweep'. However, many B1 learners may only know 'sweep' in the literal cleaning sense, so the idiomatic competitive meaning is only partially predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase clean sweep may come from old sailors who would literally sweep the deck until it was clean after a big victory at sea. That's why today clean sweep means 'winning everything' or 'a complete change'.