as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
some priceless works of literature were swept away when the library at Alexandria burned
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweep (away)
Verb
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The theory holds that a community that rids itself of petty crime, such as shoplifting, vandalism and trespassing, can eradicate more serious crime because criminals won’t have anywhere to hide.—
JULIE K. BROWN,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025 -
Its achievements include eradicating smallpox and bringing polio to the brink of elimination.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship threatens to erase the futures of countless children—children whose potential will go untapped, whose contributions to art, science, and justice might never be realized.—
Paola Mendoza,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
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Despite that, Djokovic played well enough to erase a deficit and overcome Alcaraz in four sets.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The president, however, doesn’t have the authority to abolish the agency by executive order.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
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In 1981, President Reagan went on a crusade to abolish the NEA, with multiple plans to break it apart, ranging from an immediate halt to halving its budget.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
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By the time the show opened on Friday, the Eaton Fire, which is now 95 percent contained, had burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, Pasadena, and other areas nearby.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Because laying hens are so susceptible to the H5N1 virus, which can wipe out entire flocks within days of the first infection, egg producers have been on the frontline in the fight against various bird flu strains for years now.—
Kate Wells,
NPR,
2 Feb. 2025
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Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, along with those countries’ retaliatory tariffs, could wipe out 1.5 percentage points from US gross domestic product growth (GDP) in 2025 and another 2.1 percentage points in 2026, according to estimates by EY chief economist Gregory Daco.—
Matt Egan,
CNN,
2 Feb. 2025
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Thesaurus Entries Near sweep (away)
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“Sweep (away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweep%20%28away%29. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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