sweep up
phrasal verb
swept up; sweeping up; sweeps up
1
: to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) by using a broom or brush
When I was sweeping up, I found an earring that I had lost.
Can you please sweep up the porch?
2
: to remove (something, such as dust, dirt, etc.) from a surface by using a broom or brush
She swept up the broken glass.
3
: to pick up (someone or something) in one quick, continuous motion
She swept the baby up and carried her to the crib.
4
: to brush or pull (hair) away from the face
—usually used as be swept up
Her hair was swept up in a bun.
Examples of sweep up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Extending this line of thinking to additional corners of the portfolio, some of our financials are getting swept up in the selling but appear poised to come out on the other side in a strong position, without their business models being completely disrupted.
—
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
The children and their mother weren't charged with a crime; they were swept up during an operation to arrest a South African man accused of using his cell phone to share child pornography.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
Originally priced at $22 million, it was swept up for just $16.9 million.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
Thus, a plant that had been used safely and benignly for thousands of years was swept up in the same sanctions that criminalized the use of opium, morphine, and cocaine.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep up
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Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
The children and their mother weren't charged with a crime; they were swept up during an operation to arrest a South African man accused of using his cell phone to share child pornography.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
Originally priced at $22 million, it was swept up for just $16.9 million.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
Thus, a plant that had been used safely and benignly for thousands of years was swept up in the same sanctions that criminalized the use of opium, morphine, and cocaine.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep up
Cite this Entry
“Sweep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20up. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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