To sweep out is to clean an enclosed space by sweeping—removing dirt, debris, or dust with a broom or brush: He swept out the garage before parking the car.
The "out" emphasizes thoroughness or completion, suggesting the space is emptied of unwanted material.
By extension, sweep out can mean to remove people or things completely: The new administration swept out the old guard.
1. cleaning — broom, Bristled cleaning stick; dustpan (Handheld floor-debris collector); cobwebs (Abandoned spider silk); debris (Scattered broken fragments); dirt · dust · scrub · tidy · mop · brush · clear · housekeeping · spring cleaning · freshen
2. removal — evict, Remove from property legally; expel (Remove forcibly from membership); oust (Remove from position); remove (Take something away); displace · vacate · eject · purge · dismiss · eliminate · banish · dislodge · clean house · rid
Opposites
cleaning actionsweep out ≠ dirty up Make unclean deliberately; mess up · litter · soil · befoul · make a mess
direction/accumulationsweep out ≠ bring in Cause to arrive; pile up · accumulate · gather · collect · fill
direction of movementsweep out ≠ pull in Arrive by vehicle; draw in · rake in
Categories
root out: uproot, eradicate, root up, hunt down, track down
Family
sweep, out, sweeping, swept, sweeper, sweeps, sweepstakes, sweepers, sweepings
- Familiarity
- Top 50,000
- Profile
- Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G