clean sweep
The phrase "clean sweep" is often used to describe a complete or decisive outcome in various contexts, from sports to politics.
Definition
B2Competitive Settings
(general)Achieving victory in all possible contests, games, or categories.
Example
- The team made a clean sweep of the tournament, winning every match.
- Her performance led to a clean sweep of all the awards.
C1Political Context
(political)Winning all or almost all electoral contests in a decisive manner.
Example
- The candidate's campaign resulted in a clean sweep of the local elections.
- Their party achieved a clean sweep in the recent polls.
C1Organizational Change
(figurative)Implementing a thorough change by removing or replacing almost everything that existed previously.
Example
- The new CEO made a clean sweep of the management team.
- The company underwent a clean sweep of its policies and procedures.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "clean sweep":
sweep outsweep awaysweep upclean housesweep the boardclean outspring cleaningclean downclean upclean slatesweep asideclear outdeep cleanclean feedclean sheetsqueaky cleanclear the decksclean up afterreverse sweepclean as a whistlewipe outdeep cleaningstreet sweeperbroom upscrub outclear awaywipe upmop upclear roundclear the neighborhoodscrub downtotal clearancetake to the cleaners