1
as in flows
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
the wind swept across the plain without respite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curves
to turn away from a straight line or course
from this point the mountain range sweeps to the northeast and extends into the next state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in confines
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sweeps
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2026
His suite in the World Trade Center is cavernous, with a view that sweeps from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
As the cold front sweeps the state, Southern Idaho could see wind gusts of more than 40 mph as well as significant snow at elevations above 6,000 feet.
—Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
Southern cities are forecast to see 70-degree highs on Thursday, March 26, before a cold front sweeps them away.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Confrontational immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities where mayors and governors fought him in federal court.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Even as change sweeps through Austin, many SXSW spots felt timeless — like the big public concerts at Lady Bird Lake, or the Red River venue Cheer Up Charlies, with its outdoor stage framed by a 30-foot-high limestone embankment, creating a cave-band vibe.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Any storms will have the potential for damaging winds until the cold front sweeps eastward on Monday morning.
—Stacey Duford, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Kansas City will go from springlike warmth to winter fast as a powerful storm sweeps through Sunday, bringing damaging winds, a rapid temperature plunge with flash-freeze risk, and a quick burst of snow that could cut visibility, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Those who decline the city’s offer of emergency shelter will likely scatter to parks, sidewalks and other areas, risking further sweeps and the possibility of citation or arrest.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
In logistics, Todorova sees use cases for inventory management, such as drones boosting safety and saving labor by performing daily inventory sweeps and audits.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Under Noem, intense enforcement operations were launched in places including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, where immigrants were rounded up in arrest sweeps and protesters clashed with federal officers.
—Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
For now, Lee’s popularity among both Oakland residents and the council has meant that even the most fervent supporters of sweeps aren’t criticizing her plan — at least not publicly.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Adding door sweeps can also help close gaps at the threshold.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead of detaining recent border crossers almost exclusively, Dilley is now also housing families that had established lives in the United States and were arrested in ICE sweeps.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Officers continue to conduct manual and K-9 sweeps of surrounding blocks, inspecting garbage cans, vehicles and other locations where additional devices could potentially be hidden.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
During their brief stay in Earth orbit — and during Orion's days-long transfer to lunar space — the crew will witness the waning gibbous phase, as the line separating night from day sweeps right-to-left across the moon's surface.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2026
His suite in the World Trade Center is cavernous, with a view that sweeps from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
As the cold front sweeps the state, Southern Idaho could see wind gusts of more than 40 mph as well as significant snow at elevations above 6,000 feet.
—Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2026
Southern cities are forecast to see 70-degree highs on Thursday, March 26, before a cold front sweeps them away.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Confrontational immigration sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities where mayors and governors fought him in federal court.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Even as change sweeps through Austin, many SXSW spots felt timeless — like the big public concerts at Lady Bird Lake, or the Red River venue Cheer Up Charlies, with its outdoor stage framed by a 30-foot-high limestone embankment, creating a cave-band vibe.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
Any storms will have the potential for damaging winds until the cold front sweeps eastward on Monday morning.
—Stacey Duford, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Kansas City will go from springlike warmth to winter fast as a powerful storm sweeps through Sunday, bringing damaging winds, a rapid temperature plunge with flash-freeze risk, and a quick burst of snow that could cut visibility, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
Rodarte and a Yuba County Sheriff’s Office sergeant last fall were cleared of wrongdoing by Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry, who found that the duo, part of a larger tactical team at one of several sweeps during the multi-county operation, acted in self-defense.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Those who decline the city’s offer of emergency shelter will likely scatter to parks, sidewalks and other areas, risking further sweeps and the possibility of citation or arrest.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
In logistics, Todorova sees use cases for inventory management, such as drones boosting safety and saving labor by performing daily inventory sweeps and audits.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Under Noem, intense enforcement operations were launched in places including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, where immigrants were rounded up in arrest sweeps and protesters clashed with federal officers.
—Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
For now, Lee’s popularity among both Oakland residents and the council has meant that even the most fervent supporters of sweeps aren’t criticizing her plan — at least not publicly.
—Kate Talerico, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Adding door sweeps can also help close gaps at the threshold.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Instead of detaining recent border crossers almost exclusively, Dilley is now also housing families that had established lives in the United States and were arrested in ICE sweeps.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
Officers continue to conduct manual and K-9 sweeps of surrounding blocks, inspecting garbage cans, vehicles and other locations where additional devices could potentially be hidden.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweeps
Verb
-
Roughly 20% of crude and natural gas normally flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains all but closed to oil tankers and other shipping traffic because of the war.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
An estimated 9,000 gallons reached the San Diego River, which flows past Dog Beach.—
Point Loma-Ob Monthly,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Representing a departure from the artist’s preferred medium of wood, the monument curves outward from a narrow base, its vertical form and vaguely human contours seeming to emanate light, notwithstanding the material’s heft.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Groovy Baby The color combinations on this retro stripe, which curves at the will of the nail artist, are endless.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the video, the cat’s owner gently holds the kitty up to an open window as snow drifts inside.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The nurturing Moon drifts into your 12th House of Solitude, inviting you to pause and seek privacy.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Men in khaki stood with scopes on rooftops nearby, and questions among newer protesters circulated.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Jonathan Cook testified that police also found 100 other firearms, scopes and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each treatment requires just three minutes, and the wand’s rotating head easily glides over the forehead, cheeks, under eyes, jawline and neck.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
From the world’s vantage point, Los Angeles can look like a place that glides serenely along beneath a beatific sun.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are 246 of them, drawn from the everyday realms of agriculture, land surveying, and taxation.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
China has long looked to counter the US dollar’s dominance in international commerce; that push is also extending to digital realms.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Whether — or how often — Thompson and Jones hear a similar refrain when leaving their wine-country homes to campaign in the new, conservative reaches of their district remains to be seen.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Carlos Osorio, a photojournalist with Reuters, recently traveled to Canada’s northern reaches to document military exercises, daily life, robotic testing, wildlife, and more.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The pros and cons of fiber-optic guidance Ukrainian forces have pushed standard FPV drones to ranges of 50 to 60 kilometers by integrating Starlink links, relay drones, and mothership launch platforms.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
-
SoFi rate ranges are current as of 3/12/26 and are subject to change at any time.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sweeps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweeps. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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