sweep

Meaning

Verb

1. To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
2. To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
3. To search (a place) methodically.
4. To travel quickly.
5. To play a sweep shot.
6. To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
7. To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
8. To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
9. To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
10. To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines.
11. To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
12. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
13. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
14. To strike with a long stroke.
15. To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
16. To draw or drag something over.
17. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
18. To vacuum a carpet or rug.

Noun

1. A single action of sweeping.
2. The person who steers a dragon boat.
3. A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew.
4. A chimney sweep.
5. A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices).
6. A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat.
7. A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins.
8. A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland.
9. The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage.
10. A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs.
11. Violent and general destruction.
12. A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding.
13. In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table.
14. The compass of any turning body or of any motion.
15. Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line.
16. A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them.
17. A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side.
18. (obsolete) The almond furnace.
19. A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water.
20. Any of the blades of a windmill.
21. The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
22. Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae).
23. An expanse or a swath, a strip of land.

Synonyms

brush

clean

broom

🧹

dust

clear away

rake

swing

whisk

stroke

wipe

sweep up

traverse

wave

👋

shadoof

glide

scope

cross

clear

swing out

flapping

end run

span

range

chimneysweep

chimney sweep

embroil

sweeping

drag

whistle

clean up

upsweep

move

rake up

expanse

drag in

erase

sail

sweep oar

movement

tangle

field

chimneysweeper

shave

scan

flap

tidy up

brush away

slam

wipe out

reach

reclaim

remove

romp

rub

rub out

run

runaway

rush in

scanning

scansion

scavenge

scavenger

score out

scratch

scull

sigmoid

sigmoidal

skim

slide down

slue

smash

strain

delete

strike

submarine

swab

sway

sweep away

sweeper

swerve

swipe

tidy

touch

towel

turn

uncover

wag

wash

🧽

wipe off

wipe up

carry along

chimney sweeper

minesweeping

sweep clean

blow about

overwhelming victory

vaccuum

retroflection

sweepage

jogging

move quickly

dust and sweep

long oar

pounce down

ping cycle

ping period

sonar sweep

health inspection

contrary flexure

sweep template

turning strickle

wipe clean

punting-pole

stern-oar

sweep the place

backward sweep

sweepback swept-back angle

sweeping board

stretch

ambit

arc

backswept

beating

bend

black out

blow

brush off

burke

career

cleanliness

coast

compass

🧭

comprehension

cover

coverage

cream

curve

dash

💨

destroy

drag up

efface

envelopment

excise

expunge

extent

fan

flow

flowage

gather

gather up

glance

graze

inflection

invade

landslide

limit

luge

momentum

oar

open up

overwhelm

paddle

pass

pass over

paw

put in order

rage

😡

Pronounced as (IPA)

/swiːp/

Etymology

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”). See also swoop.