# sweep

> English word · Verb · IPA /swiːp/ · frequency rank #7,507

## Definitions
1. To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
2. To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
3. To search (a place) methodically.
4. To travel quickly.
5. To play a sweep shot.
6. To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
7. To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
8. To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
9. To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
10. To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines.
11. To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
12. To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
13. To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
14. To strike with a long stroke.
15. To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
16. To draw or drag something over.
17. To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
18. To vacuum a carpet or rug.

## Etymology
From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic *swaipijaną. Cognate with Early Modern West Frisian swiepe (“whip, cleanse, sweep”), from Old Frisian swēpa, suepa (“sweep”). More distantly related to Old Norse sveipa (whence Swedish svepa). See also swoop.

## Easily confused with
- **sweet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-sweet)
- **swept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-swept)
- **swell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-swell)
- **swoop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-swoop)
- **sweets** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-sweets)
- **sweeps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-sweeps)
- **sweety** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-sweety)
- **sweeper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sweep-vs-sweeper)
- **see** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/see-vs-sweep)
- **SEP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sep-vs-sweep)
- **seen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seen-vs-sweep)
- **seem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-sweep)
- **seek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seek-vs-sweep)
- **sees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sees-vs-sweep)
- **seed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seed-vs-sweep)
- **swap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/swap-vs-sweep)
- **seer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seer-vs-sweep)
- **shep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shep-vs-sweep)
- **seep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seep-vs-sweep)
- **sleep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleep-vs-sweep)

## Common misspellings (7)
`sewep`, `ssweep`, `sweepp`, `swep`, `swepe`, `swweep`, `wseep`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sweep