1 A2 neutral
To clean a room or space by sweeping all dirt and rubbish out of it with a broom.
"They swept out the old barn before moving the equipment in."
separable
sweep out
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To clean a space by sweeping all dirt and debris out of it, or to exit in a confident and dramatic way.
In plain English
To use a broom to clean all the dirt out of a room, or to leave a place in a very confident and impressive way.
What does "sweep out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To leave a place in a dramatic, confident, or dignified manner.
"Furious at the accusation, she swept out of the boardroom without another word."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sweep (with a broom), moving dirt or debris out of an enclosed space.
Actually means
To use a broom to clean all the dirt out of a room, or to leave a place in a very confident and impressive way.
Usage tip
The literal cleaning sense is very common and transparent. The figurative sense of a dramatic exit (paralleling 'sweep in') is also used but less frequently. In the cleaning sense, the object is the space being cleaned.
Words that pair with "sweep out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
garage barn room corner fireplace stable
How to conjugate "sweep out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sweep out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sweeps out
he/she/it
Past simple
sweeped out
yesterday
Past participle
sweeped out
have + pp
-ing form
sweeping out
continuous
Hear "sweep out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sweep out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "sweep out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.