sweep up

phrasal verb

swept up; sweeping up; sweeps up

1

: to remove dust, dirt, etc., from (something) by using a broom or brush

When I was sweeping up, I found an earring that I had lost.

Can you please sweep up the porch?

2

: to remove (something, such as dust, dirt, etc.) from a surface by using a broom or brush

She swept up the broken glass.

3

: to pick up (someone or something) in one quick, continuous motion

She swept the baby up and carried her to the crib.

4

: to brush or pull (hair) away from the face

—usually used as be swept up

Her hair was swept up in a bun.

Examples of sweep up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There's also a chance that even migrants with proper authorization are swept up in a raid, a mistake that could prove devastating for their families, Powers explained. —Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 14 Nov. 2024

Agents would go house to house and raid workplaces in an offensive that would sweep up many people who are not criminals, disrupt businesses and schools, and forcefully separate families. —Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024

Slipping into the insular crawl space of a Ka song felt like getting swept up into an epic poem. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024

With a two-year-old daughter to raise, Rob can’t afford to get swept up in a crazy night of partying — let alone disappeared into the clouds. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2024