range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities.
the entire range of human experience
gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.
a performance that ran the gamut of emotions
compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity.
your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study
sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity.
the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity
scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible.
as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened
orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation.
within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change
Examples of sweep in a Sentence
Verb
He swept the dirt off the driveway.
He swept the crumbs from the table.
I need to sweep the kitchen.
Are you finished sweeping the porch?
A storm swept across the plains.
Fires swept through the forest.
She proudly swept into the room.
The limo swept up to the door.
He swept the curtains aside.
She swept the books off the desk. Noun
Mrs. Griswold has been a teacher for so long that the sweep of her influence extends across three generations of the townspeople.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
As Juneteenth celebrations sweep the Bay Area, the actual holiday may be a little quieter as several public services will be closed for the day.—Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024 The brothers also swept national honors from the USTFCCCA for the indoor season.—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 17 June 2024
Noun
The Panthers hold a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series after the Oilers won Game 4 on Saturday to avoid a sweep.—Ben Morse, CNN, 18 June 2024 The Celtics’ breezy postseason run, which included an Eastern Conference finals sweep of the Indiana Pacers, was the fastest title chase since the Golden State Warriors went 16-1 in 2016-17.—Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for sweep
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English swepen; akin to Old English swāpan to sweep, Old High German sweifen to wander
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