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
New Hampshire plays 11 minutes and 48 seconds before scoring its first point.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds ends his Navy career with a clean sweep against Army.
—
Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
The Republican candidate also won the popular vote and picked up a clean sweep of the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
Notre Dame leads 4-0. Facts & figures A victory would give Notre Dame a clean sweep of its four ACC opponents this season.
—Curt Rallo, Chicago Tribune, 15 Nov. 2024
Congressional races are also front of mind for investors, as a clean sweep for either party in Washington could have ramifications for tax and trade policy and new spending plans.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean sweep 
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.
Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
The Republican candidate also won the popular vote and picked up a clean sweep of the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
Notre Dame leads 4-0. Facts & figures A victory would give Notre Dame a clean sweep of its four ACC opponents this season.
—Curt Rallo, Chicago Tribune, 15 Nov. 2024
Congressional races are also front of mind for investors, as a clean sweep for either party in Washington could have ramifications for tax and trade policy and new spending plans.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean sweep
Dictionary Entries Near clean sweep
Cite this Entry
“Clean sweep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20sweep. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share