sweep away
phrasal verb
swept away; sweeping away; sweeps away
: to destroy or remove (something) completely
Floods swept away several houses.
His performance today swept away any doubts about his ability to play.
Examples of sweep away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When coupled with what locals describe as a 500-year flood, which has swept away entire roadways and forced many voters out of their homes, and emerging misinformation about the hurricane and election online, this year's election will test the system as never before.
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Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024
World & Nation Mexican immigrant families plagued by grief, questions after plant workers swept away by Helene
Oct. 6, 2024
The volunteers then drove to Renfro’s hub in Tipton Hill before their last stop at a Bakersville church that has been running two generators.
—Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024
The latest: The remnants of Hurricane Helene crumpled bridges, swept away large chunks of busy interstates and made some rural communities inaccessible.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024
The families of employees Bertha Mendoza, 56, and Lidia Verdugo confirmed to NBC News that both died after being swept away from or falling out of vehicles that had come to rescue them.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sweep away 
Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024
World & Nation Mexican immigrant families plagued by grief, questions after plant workers swept away by Helene
Oct. 6, 2024
The volunteers then drove to Renfro’s hub in Tipton Hill before their last stop at a Bakersville church that has been running two generators.
—Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024
The latest: The remnants of Hurricane Helene crumpled bridges, swept away large chunks of busy interstates and made some rural communities inaccessible.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024
The families of employees Bertha Mendoza, 56, and Lidia Verdugo confirmed to NBC News that both died after being swept away from or falling out of vehicles that had come to rescue them.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sweep away
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep away.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sweep away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweep%20away. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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