clean sweep
noun
1
: a victory in which one side or team wins every game, contest, etc.
The Red Sox won the series in a clean sweep.
The election was a clean sweep for local Democratic candidates.
2
: a complete change in something
The new governor has made a clean sweep of the staff in the governor's mansion.
Examples of clean sweep in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That number jumps to seven for Best Actress, eight for Best Actor, nine for Best Supporting Actress, and is a clean sweep for Best Supporting Actor, with the SAG Awards and Oscars awarding the same 10 winners in that category.
—
EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The judge’s orders represented a clean sweep for the prosecution over the defense’s effort to exclude a variety of evidence from Kohberger’s capital murder trial.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2025
This figure is expected to rise as Trump is also leading in the swing states of Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona according to the agency, putting him on track for a clean sweep of the seven battleground states that were widely expected to decide the election.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The Panthers were able to prevent Pembroke from a clean sweep of both team championships, nipping the Titans for the girls crown by just nine points in the school standings with 69 overall.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
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EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The judge’s orders represented a clean sweep for the prosecution over the defense’s effort to exclude a variety of evidence from Kohberger’s capital murder trial.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2025
This figure is expected to rise as Trump is also leading in the swing states of Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona according to the agency, putting him on track for a clean sweep of the seven battleground states that were widely expected to decide the election.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
The Panthers were able to prevent Pembroke from a clean sweep of both team championships, nipping the Titans for the girls crown by just nine points in the school standings with 69 overall.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
Cite this Entry
“Clean sweep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20sweep. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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