Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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sweep, sweeps, sweeping, swept

Synonyms: brush, clean, clear, dust, remove

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Antonyms: dirty, mess up, scatter, litter, soil

The Verb Sweep – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb sweep is an irregular verb. Its primary meaning is to clean a floor or surface using a broom. It also has powerful figurative meanings related to moving swiftly over an area or winning completely.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: sweep
■ Past Simple: swept
■ Past Participle: swept
■ Present Participle/Gerund: sweeping


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Sweep' is used for cleaning, fast movement, and overwhelming victory.


1. Cleaning with a Broom
This is its most common literal meaning.


■ Chores: 'He swept the kitchen floor.'


2. Moving Swiftly and Smoothly
This describes a continuous, powerful movement over an area.


■ Natural Forces: 'A powerful storm swept across the country.'
■ Ideas/Trends: 'A new fashion trend is sweeping the nation.'
■ Emotion: 'A wave of relief swept over him.'


3. Winning Conclusively (Sports)
This means to win every game in a series.


■ Sports: 'The team was so dominant that they swept the finals in four games.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'SWEEPING' AS AN ADJECTIVE


■ 'Sweeping': The participle is often used as an adjective to mean 'wide-ranging,' 'extensive,' or 'generalized.'
■ Example: 'The new CEO made sweeping changes to the company.'
■ Example: 'That's a sweeping statement; you can't say all politicians are the same.'