Sweep
/swiːp/
nounverbA2
Definition
As a verb, sweep means to clean something by brushing dirt or dust away in one smooth movement. It can also mean to move over an area quickly and completely. As a noun, sweep refers to the action or result of sweeping, or a wide, smooth movement, or a complete success in winning many things.
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See It in Action
To clean by brushing dirt or dust away
- •She sweeps the kitchen floor every morning.
- •Please sweep the leaves off the porch.
- •He swept the dust from the table with a small brush.
To move quickly and smoothly over an area
- •The searchlight swept across the dark sky.
- •A cold wind swept through the valley.
- •The crowd’s eyes swept the stage looking for the speaker.
A complete or large movement or victory (noun)
- •The team made a clean sweep by winning all the matches.
- •There was a sweep of colors across the sunset sky.
- •The detective made a sweep of the area to find clues.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "sweep" like "clean" (A1 word), but it means cleaning by moving a brush or hand in one smooth, wide movement.
- ✓Picture a broom moving across the floor, pushing all the dust and dirt into a pile.
- ✓It's the feeling when you finish cleaning a room and it looks tidy and fresh.
- ✓Sounds like "sweep" → imagine a soft wind that sweeps leaves away quickly and smoothly.
- ✓Imagine a sports team winning all their games in a season — they did a "sweep," winning everything.
- ✓NOT like "wipe" (which uses a cloth and is back-and-forth), "sweep" is usually a smooth, one-direction movement.
- ✓NOT like "move" (which can be slow or small), "sweep" is fast and covers a big area.
- ✓NOT like "clean" in general (which can be any way), "sweep" is a specific way to clean by brushing or moving.
Try Other Words
- •Brush: to move a brush over a surface (Use when focusing on the tool used for cleaning)
- •Clear: to remove things from a space (Use when removing objects, not just dust or dirt)
- •Move: to change position (Use when talking about general movement, not cleaning)
- •Scan: to look quickly over an area (Use when talking about eyes or light moving over space)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: The word "sweep" is a simple root word with no prefix or suffix.
- •Etymology: From Old English "swēopan," meaning to move or brush away.
- •Historical development: Used from early English to describe moving something with a broom or hand; later also used for wide or smooth movements.
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for cleaning floors or surfaces, and also to describe wide movements of light, wind, or eyes; also used in sports for winning all games.
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of "sweeping" help you think about cleaning or moving things in your daily life?
•Can you think of situations where "sweep" means moving quickly but not cleaning? What does that feel like?
Fill in the blanks
1.She used a broom to sweep the floor ___ all the dust and dirt away.
2.The strong wind sweep ___ the leaves from the trees during the storm.
3.After winning every game, the team completed a clean sweep ___ the championship.
4.The searchlight sweep ___ the dark sky to find any movement.
5.When you sweep a room, you usually move the broom in ___ direction to gather dirt.
6.The detective made a sweep ___ the area to find any signs of the missing item.
7.Unlike wiping with a cloth, sweeping uses a brush to ___ dirt into a pile.