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
Carried out with little evidence and without court hearings or due process, these roundups reportedly may also have swept up individuals with no apparent connection to gang activity apart from common tattoos(firearms, trains, dice, roses, tigers and jaguars) and other circumstantial evidence.
—
Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Catlett was swept up in the Red Scare, a mid-century mania infecting American politics seeking to prove its thesis that the government had been infiltrated by communists working to take down capitalism and democracy.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
He was swept up in the swirl of decade-defining events surrounding Muhammad Ali as well as Joe Frazier and other high-wattage pugilists of the 1970s.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
But because it was made up of Japanese-Americans, it was also swept up in the brief purge.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweep up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nisha Whitehead, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Catlett was swept up in the Red Scare, a mid-century mania infecting American politics seeking to prove its thesis that the government had been infiltrated by communists working to take down capitalism and democracy.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
He was swept up in the swirl of decade-defining events surrounding Muhammad Ali as well as Joe Frazier and other high-wattage pugilists of the 1970s.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
But because it was made up of Japanese-Americans, it was also swept up in the brief purge.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share