Pronunciation: /swip/

Definitions of sweep

noun an act of cleaning or clearing a surface with a broom or brush

Example Sentences

A1 I use a broom to sweep the floor.

A2 The janitor does a sweep of the building every evening.

B1 The police conducted a sweep of the area to find the suspect.

B2 The company did a sweep of all their branches to ensure compliance with regulations.

C1 The government ordered a sweep of all known terrorist cells in the country.

C2 The cybersecurity team conducted a sweep of the network to detect any potential threats.

verb to clean or clear a surface with a broom or brush

Example Sentences

A1 I sweep the floor every day.

A2 She sweeps the leaves off the driveway.

B1 The janitor sweeps the hallways after school.

B2 The team worked together to sweep the field clean of debris.

C1 He meticulously swept the crime scene for evidence.

C2 The investigation team swept the entire area for any clues.

Examples of sweep in a Sentence

formal The janitor used a broom to sweep the floors of the office building.

informal I need to sweep the kitchen before mom gets home.

slang Let's sweep this place and head out before anyone notices.

figurative The new policy will sweep through the company and bring about major changes.

Grammatical Forms of sweep

past tense

swept

plural

sweeps

comparative

sweeper

superlative

sweepiest

present tense

sweeps

future tense

will sweep

perfect tense

have swept

continuous tense

is sweeping

singular

sweep

positive degree

sweep

infinitive

to sweep

gerund

sweeping

participle

sweeped

Origin and Evolution of sweep

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'sweep' originated from the Old English word 'swāpan' which means to clean or clear by brushing or wiping.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'sweep' has evolved to not only mean cleaning or clearing with a brush or broom, but also to describe a wide range of movements or actions that involve a broad, sweeping motion.