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sweeps

B1
UK/swiːps/US/swiːps/

Neutral to informal (for cleaning); formal/informal (for competitions).

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

Cleans a surface by moving a brush or broom across it; wins all prizes or victories in a competition or event.

Can refer to a rapid, wide-ranging movement (e.g., a glance), a comprehensive search or removal, or a complete, overwhelming series of wins (as in sports). Also used as a noun for things that sweep (e.g., chimney sweeps) or the act itself.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

The primary verb 'sweep' has both concrete (physical cleaning/movement) and abstract (winning comprehensively, moving swiftly) meanings. The plural noun 'sweeps' often refers to people (chimney sweeps) or a series of events (e.g., police sweeps).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Minimal for core meanings. 'Sweep' for chimney professional is slightly more archaic/UK-associated.

Connotations

In US media, 'sweeps' refers to Nielsen rating periods that influence TV programming. 'Sweeps week' is a US-specific term.

Frequency

As a verb, equally common. Plural noun 'sweeps' (for people/actions) is less frequent overall.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
clean sweepsweep the floorsweep the boardsweep asidesweep under the carpet
medium
sweep the streetssweep to victorysweep the countrysweep throughpolice sweeps
weak
sweep of the handsweep of historybroad sweeps

Grammar

Valency Patterns

Sweep + OBJ (He sweeps the room.)Sweep + OBJ + ADJ (She swept it clean.)Sweep + OBJ + ADV/PREP (The wind swept leaves into the corner.)Sweep + ADV/PREP (A new trend swept across Europe.)

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

overwhelmtriumphdominate

Neutral

cleanbrushclear

Weak

glidesailrush

Vocabulary

Antonyms

scrub (specific cleaning)loseprogress slowly

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “Make a clean sweep”
  • “Sweep someone off their feet”
  • “Sweep something under the carpet/rug”
  • “Sweep the board”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

"The new policy aims to sweep away outdated regulations."

Academic

"The revolutionary idea swept through intellectual circles."

Everyday

"Could you sweep the kitchen floor after dinner?"

Technical

"The radar sweeps the area every five seconds."

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • He sweeps the path every Saturday morning.
  • The new party could sweep to power in the election.
  • Her gaze swept across the crowded room.

American English

  • She sweeps the porch before guests arrive.
  • The team hopes to sweep the series 4-0.
  • Fashion trends sweep the nation quickly.

adverb

British English

  • (Rare as adverb; typically part of phrasal verb 'sweepingly': 'He argued sweepingly').

American English

  • (Rare as adverb; typically part of phrasal verb 'sweepingly': 'She dismissed it sweepingly').

adjective

British English

  • The sweep hand on the clock is broken.
  • They conducted a sweep search of the premises.

American English

  • The robot has a 180-degree sweep vision.
  • A sweep attack was launched at dawn.

Examples

By CEFR Level

A2
  • My mother sweeps the house every day.
  • The wind sweeps the leaves away.
B1
  • He sweeps the dust into a pan.
  • Our team did a clean sweep, winning all the medals.
B2
  • The new law will sweep aside many of the old restrictions.
  • Police conducted overnight sweeps in the district.
C1
  • A wave of populism swept the incumbent government from office.
  • The documentary offers broad sweeps of historical analysis.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

SWEEPS: Swift Wins & Efficiently Eliminates Pesky Sand/Smudge.

Conceptual Metaphor

CHANGE IS MOVEMENT / VICTORY IS CLEANING ('sweep to victory', 'clean sweep').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Not synonymous with 'swipe' (e.g., to steal or card payment). 'Sweep the floor' is not 'mop the floor' (мыть пол шваброй). The noun 'sweeps' (plural) for people (e.g., chimney sweeps) has no direct common Russian equivalent.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'sweep' for mopping a wet floor. Incorrect: *'She sweeps the spilled juice.' (Should be 'mops' or 'wipes'). Confusing 'swept' (past tense) with 'sweeped' (incorrect).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
After the storm, we had to the broken branches from the driveway.
Multiple Choice

In US media context, what does 'the sweeps' typically refer to?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the correct past tense and past participle form is 'swept'. 'Sweeped' is a common error.

'Sweep' is for dry cleaning using a broom or brush. 'Mop' is for wet cleaning using a mop and often water/cleaning liquid.

Not usually. 'Sweep' implies winning all games in a series or all prizes in a contest. For a single game, 'win' is used.

It is an idiom meaning to hide a problem or embarrassing situation instead of dealing with it.