sweep up

phrasal verb

swept up; sweeping up; sweeps up

: 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?

: to remove (something, such as dust, dirt, etc.) from a surface by using a broom or brush

She swept up the broken glass.

: to pick up (someone or something) in one quick, continuous motion

She swept the baby up and carried her to the crib.

: 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 The smallest of these particles can get swept up by the wind and travel great distances: Approximately 22,000 tons of Saharan dust reach as far as the Amazon each year, and the phosphorus in these particles helps fertilize the rainforest’s soil. —

Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2024 But even though she was swept up in the world of science, Fox always maintained her early passion for art. —

Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024 Flashbacks uncover the socialite Hetty, proud owner of an early telephone, is swept up in her husband's business scandal and tragically kills herself with the phone cord. —

Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 The Section 702 surveillance program, which targets foreigners overseas while sweeping up a large amount of US communications as well, is set to sunset on April 19. —

Dell Cameron, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024 The arrest of a group of Tajik citizens accused of carrying out the attack that killed 145 people at a Moscow concert hall last month has upended those plans, filling Muhammad with fear of being swept up in the ensuing crackdown on the Central Asian migrants who prop up Russia’s economy. —

Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024 But because those foreigners often contact Americans, domestic data is also swept up in collection as well. —

Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024 Nevertheless, Americans’ communications are routinely swept up by the program. —

Condé Nast, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024 The path of totality will then sweep up the United states, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. —

Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.