sweep along

sweep along

1. To glide or drift onward in a smooth, continuous motion in a current or as if being carried by one. We swept along in our tiny boat, watching the sun set over the ridge of the island. The leaves of the tree swept along as they fell into the stream.
2. To carry or push someone or something onward in a smooth, gliding motion. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "along." The river swept us along so quickly that we had no choice but to wait until it deposited us into calmer waters. Intense winds continued to sweep debris along through the streets.
See also: sweep
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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: sweep
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

sweep along

v.
To cause someone or something to be carried along by or as if by a current: The current swept the raft along. Most of the debris was swept along by the river.
See also: sweep
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • lope along
  • drift
  • float into
  • float into (something)
  • parkour
  • float (up)on (something)
  • float on
  • float through
  • float through (something)
  • trot along
References in periodicals archive
As the precision steering of your sleek Porsche Carrera GT clutches this route from Carlisle to Edinburgh in the north, you weave through woodlands and sweep along a stream.
Where and how to hit the road: exciting driving experiences that take you out of cruise control
The romance and adventure will sweep along most YA readers--and the cover, a b/w photograph of a kissing couple in grey surroundings, will grab attention.
Mackall, Dandi Daley. Eva Underground: A Novel
Khalid al-Zawahari, son of top Osama bin Laden aide Aiman al-Zawahari, is among those arrested Tuesday during a Pakistani military sweep along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Jang newspaper reported Wednesday.
Top bin Laden aide's son detained in Pakistani sweep
Carney's character, Ed Norton, made a living working in a sewer, a profession he even proudly sang about: "I work in a sewer with a guy named Bruce; together we sweep along the refuse." The genuine dignity he supplied to the job earned him honorary membership in the associations of sewer workers in several states.
This sewer sweeper wore blue: best known for his role on The Honeymooners, actor Art Carney also starred on stage and screen. His career proved that good entertainment can be both wholesome and enjoyable
Driven by strong currents that sweep along the coast, the floating masses of ice jostle and bang their way along the ice shelf for hundreds of miles.
Big Bergs Ahoy!
Arrival will be along a drive which will sweep along the River Don, the raison d'etre of the plant in the first place.
MAGNA CUM LAUDE
A surge of this bone-chilling air--often called a Siberian express--can sweep along at up to 60 miles per hour and make temperatures plummet 10[degrees]F to 20[degrees]F in a few minutes.
Earth Science: Siberian snow has long-range effects