clean sweep
noun
1
: a victory in which one side or team wins every game, contest, etc.
The Red Sox won the series in a clean sweep.
The election was a clean sweep for local Democratic candidates.
2
: a complete change in something
The new governor has made a clean sweep of the staff in the governor's mansion.
Examples of clean sweep in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The night provided a clean sweep for Mamdani’s brand of Democrats.
—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
24 June 2026
That gave New York a clean sweep (6-0) of its Eastern Conference games and the tiebreaker over Las Vegas.
—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
That gives it a clean sweep of cycling’s three grand tours.
—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
All three judges turned in identical 50-45 cards, a clean sweep that captured how one-sided the night was.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
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Philip Elliott,
Time,
24 June 2026
That gave New York a clean sweep (6-0) of its Eastern Conference games and the tiebreaker over Las Vegas.
—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
That gives it a clean sweep of cycling’s three grand tours.
—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
All three judges turned in identical 50-45 cards, a clean sweep that captured how one-sided the night was.
—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean sweep
Cite this Entry
“Clean sweep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20sweep. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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