sweep (redirected from sweeping the board)

*black as a skillet and *black as a stack of black cats; *black as a sweep; *black as coal; *black as night; *black as pitch; *black as the ace of spades

completely dark or black. (*Also: as ~.) I don't want to go down to the cellar. It's as black as a skillet down there. Her hair was black as a stack of black cats. After playing in the mud all morning, the children were as black as night. The stranger's clothes were all black as pitch.

See also: black, skillet

clean sweep

a broad movement clearing or affecting everything in its pathway. The manager and everybody in accounting got fired in a clean sweep of that department. Everybody got a pay rise. It was a clean sweep.

See also: clean

make a clean sweep

Fig. to do something completely or thoroughly, with no exceptions. The boss decided to change the direction of the company, so he made a clean sweep and fired all the top management. They made a clean sweep through the neighborhood, repairing all the sidewalks.

See also: clean, make

New brooms sweep clean. and A new broom sweeps clean.

Prov. Someone who is new in a particular job will do a very good job at first, to prove how competent he or she is. Jill: That new supervisor is awfully strict. Jane: New brooms sweep clean. The new teacher immediately flunked three of the laziest students. "A new broom sweeps clean," one of the students shrugged.

See also: broom, clean, new

sweep someone or something aside

to push or brush someone or something aside. The guards swept the spectators aside as the king's coach approached. They swept aside the spectators.

See also: aside

sweep someone or something away

to dispose of someone or something by pushing or brushing away. The waves nearly swept us away. The waves caused by the storm swept away all the debris on the beach.

See also: away

sweep someone or something out of something and sweep someone or something out

to remove or brush someone or something from something or some place. The voters swept the crooks out of office. We swept out the dirt.

See also: out

sweep someone into something and sweep someone in

to place someone into an elective position decisively. The decisive victory swept all the candidates of the reform party into office. The victory swept in the candidates.

sweep something back

to push or move something backward in the shape of a curve. He took the brush and swept his hair back in a huge wave. She swept back her hair in a striking arrangement.

See also: back

sweep something down

to clean something by sweeping. Please sweep this floor down whenever you make a mess here. Jeff will sweep down the floor before he goes home.

sweep something into something and sweep something in

to move something into something or some place by sweeping. Liz swept the crumbs into the dish. Liz held the dish and swept in the crumbs.

sweep something off (of) something and sweep something off

to remove something by sweeping. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The waiter swept the crumbs off the tablecloth. He swept off the crumbs.

sweep something under the carpet 

1. Lit. to hide dirt by brushing it away under the edge of a carpet. He was in such a hurry with the cleaning that he just swept the dirt under the carpet. She swept the dirt under the carpet, hoping no one would find it.

2. Fig. to hide or ignore something. You made a mistake that you can't sweep under the carpet. Don't try to sweep it under the carpet. You are wrong!

See also: carpet

sweep something up 

1. Lit. to clean up and remove something, such as dirt, by sweeping. Please sweep these crumbs up. Can you sweep up these crumbs?

2. Lit. to clean up some place by sweeping. Please sweep this room up. Can you sweep up this room, please?

3. Fig. to arrange something, such as hair, into a curve or wave. The hairstylist swept her hair up over the top. No one liked it. Sweep up my hair the way it looks in this picture.

See also: up

sweep along

to glide along smoothly, as if flying. The sailboat swept along, pushed by the strong wind. The fallen leaves blew up against the fence, swept along by a strong wind.

See also: along

sweep down on someone or something

to flow or rush down onto someone or something. The storm swept down on the campers. A flash flood swept down on the streambed.

sweep in (to some place)

to dash or run into some place. The kids swept into the candy store and bought little bits of things. They swept in and spent all of a dollar before they left.

sweep in(to some place)

to dash or run into some place. The kids swept into the candy store and bought little bits of things. They swept in and spent all of a dollar before they left.

sweep off

to exit quickly. He stopped only briefly, then swept off again. Mary swept off, leaving Ted standing there confused.

sweep one off one's feet and knock one off one's feet 

1. Lit. to knock someone down. The wind swept me off my feet. Bill punched Bob playfully, and knocked him off his feet.

2. Fig. to overwhelm someone (figuratively). Mary is madly in love with Bill. He swept her off her feet. The news was so exciting that it knocked me off my feet.

See also: feet, one

sweep out of some place

to exit from some place quickly with style or grace. The famous actress swept out of the room in a grand fashion. She swept out of her dressing room and walked on stage just as her cue was uttered.

See also: out, place, some

sweep over someone 

1. Lit. to pass over and cover someone. The waves swept over us and nearly drowned us. The flood swept over the farmers who would not leave their homes.

2. Fig. [for something] to overwhelm someone. A wave of nausea swept over me and I guess I slumped to the floor. The need for fresh air swept over all of us trapped in that room.

sweep through (something)

1. Lit. to move through something or some place quickly and with grand flourishes. She swept through the room, speaking to no one. She swept through in a great hurry.

2. Fig. to perform some task quickly. She swept through the musical number and ran offstage. It required a slower tempo, but she just swept through.

See also: through

sweep up

to clean up by sweeping. Would you sweep up this time? Please give me a few minutes to sweep up before you come to visit.

See also: up

sweep up after someone

to clean up the dirt left on the floor by someone. Do you mind sweeping up after the kids? I had to sweep up after your party and I am not happy about it!

See also: after, up

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a clean sweep

if you make a clean sweep, you win a competition or an election very easily or you win all the prizes in a competition China's women divers achieved a clean sweep in yesterday's competitions. Analysts are predicting a clean sweep for the ruling party in the forthcoming elections.

See also: clean

sweep somebody off their feet

if someone sweeps you off your feet, you fall suddenly and completely in love with them She was hoping that some glamorous young Frenchman would come along and sweep her off her feet.

See also: feet

sweep something under the carpet  (British, American & Australian) also sweep something under the mat/rug (American & Australian)

to try to hide a problem or keep a problem secret instead of dealing with it The incident has forced into the open an issue that the government would rather have swept under the carpet. The evidence was on film and the police couldn't just sweep it under the rug.

See also: carpet

sweep the board  (British)

to win all the prizes or votes in a competition or an election Her latest film swept the boards at last night's cinema awards. The liberals look set to sweep the board in the local elections.

See also: board

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sweep somebody off their feet

to cause someone to fall suddenly and completely in love with you You kind of expect to get swept off your feet on Valentine's Day.

See also: feet

sweep something under the carpet

to hide something embarrassing sweep something under the rug The problem is usually ignored or swept under the carpet.

See also: carpet

sweep something under the rug

to hide something embarrassing sweep something under the carpet The scandal was swept under the rug because of the important people involved in it.

See also: rug

sweep away something also sweep something away

1. to get rid of something You will have to sweep away all your anger in order to improve your relations with your family. There was almost no wind to sweep the smog away.

2. to destroy something The decision to close the lab meant that twenty years' work was swept away in a moment. Francis spent his last few years at home, until heart failure swept him away.

See also: away