as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
some priceless works of literature were swept away when the library at Alexandria burned
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweep (away)
Verb
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Measles is a disease that has been considered largely eradicated in the United states for more than 20 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2025 -
Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 but has resurfaced as vaccination rates have fallen.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The footage was erased but during an investigation the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau was able to recover it.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
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The Sharks erased a two-goal deficit in the third period, killed off a penalty in overtime, and saw Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund both score goals in the shootout to earn a dramatic 3-2 win over the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.—
Curtis Pashelka,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yet even as years’ worth of political backlash has drowned out calls to defund or abolish forces, perceptions of police shaped by tragedies like George Floyd and Uvalde aren’t so easily forgotten.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
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But the administration's efforts to abolish federal agencies authorized by Congress are likely to meet the same fate as their attempts to stiff USAID contractors.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This is a major U-turn from Riot, after completely revamping the rewards system at the start of the year and being destroyed by fans for it.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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Lost in a sea of ash: When wildfire destroys a home — and a loved one’s urn — the search begins.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The rout extended a miserable month for markets that has seen all three major indexes wipe out their gains since the US presidential election in November.—
John Towfighi,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
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His total net worth is down $121 billion from its peak in December, when the company had a market capitalization well in excess of $1 trillion — the gains of a post-election rally wiped out entirely, with the stock price tumbling 38 percent just since Trump’s inauguration.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sweep (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweep%20%28away%29. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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