SWEEP UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sweep up mean? 

• SWEEP UP (verb)
  The verb SWEEP UP has 2 senses:

1. force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action

2. take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own

  Familiarity information: SWEEP UP used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SWEEP UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

drag; drag in; embroil; sweep; sweep up; tangle

Context example:

don't drag me into this business

Hypernyms (to "sweep up" is one way to...):

involve (engage as a participant)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

adopt; embrace; espouse; sweep up

Context example:

They adopted the Jewish faith

Hypernyms (to "sweep up" is one way to...):

accept (consider or hold as true)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sweep up"):

fasten on; hook on; latch on; seize on; take up (adopt)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Then they said, “Yes, Miss Cat-skin, you will do for the kitchen; you can sweep up the ashes, and do things of that sort.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)