ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sweep

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈswip// UK //swˈiːp// sweep Archaic Dialect General-service

n. a long, smooth movement that covers a wide area. You can also use it to describe a wide, curved shape or a complete win in a competition.

n. a wide, continuous movement or a curved stretch of something. Often used to describe a comprehensive victory in which one side wins every game or award.


SIMPLE

The team completed a clean sweep of the tournament.

CONTEXTUAL

From the top of the hill, you can see the long sweep of the bay stretching toward the horizon.

COMPLEX

The candidate's unexpected sweep of the northern provinces shifted the political landscape, leaving the opposition with no path to a majority in the upcoming assembly.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic swaipijaną. Cognate with Early Modern West Frisian swiepe (“whip, cleanse, sweep”), from Old Frisian swēpa, suepa (“sweep”). More distantly related to Old Norse sveipa (whence Swedish svepa). See also swoop.

Usage

Commonly used in the phrase 'a clean sweep' to indicate a total victory or a thorough change.

Idioms7 entries

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