sweep off

sweep off

1. To clean or clear something by brushing its surface very lightly and quickly, as with a broom or brush. A noun or pronoun can be used between "sweep" and "off." Please sweep the patio off before our guests arrive. She swept off the ancient tombstone so she could decipher the inscriptions.
2. To clear something off (of someone or something) with a quick brushing movement. A noun or pronoun can be used between "sweep" and "off." Don't eat in here anymore, OK? I hate having to sweep all these crumbs off the bed. He swept off the dust that had gotten all over his new suit.
3. To clear, drive, or convey someone or something off (of something or some place) with quick, powerful, and relentless force. A noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "off." A huge wave crashed onto the bridge, sweeping dozens of people off and carrying them out to sea. Hurricane-force winds have been sweeping cars right off the street.
4. To take or escort someone away (from or to some place) very swiftly, abruptly, or unexpectedly. A noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "off." The secret police began sweeping political dissidents off to unknown locations, never to be heard from again. Security personnel swept the protestors off the stage after they had had attempted to disrupt the ceremony.
5. To bring someone on a trip or excursion (to some place) in a very romantic or exciting fashion. A noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "off." Dan is sweeping me off to Florence for our anniversary next week. The company had a limousine ready to sweep us off to the gala event.
See also: off, sweep
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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.
See also: off, sweep

sweep off

to exit quickly. He stopped only briefly, then swept off again. Mary swept off, leaving Ted standing there confused.
See also: off, sweep
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • involve with
  • involve with (someone or something)
  • involved with
  • arrange for
  • arrange for some time
  • arrange some music for
  • back into
  • back into (someone or something)
  • add in
  • angle
References in periodicals archive
Ramprakash was out off the last ball of the day when he mistimed a sweep off Batty to Phil J aques.
Cricket: Ramprakash first to landmark
Bad luck struck earlier when Kevin Pietersen was wrongly adjudged to have gloved an attempted sweep off Harbhajan Singh by umpire Darrell Hair, the ball spooning up to home captain Rahul Dravid at slip after striking the batsman above the wrist.
Cricket: India on brink after Piet call; CRICKET SPOTLIGHT
* Use lens tissue, NSN 6640-00-663-0832, like a little broom to sweep off the lens.
Basics of binoc care
From the very start of New Zealand's reply, England struggled to make inroads and took 15 overs to make the breakthrough when opener Mark Richardson top-edged an attempted sweep off Ashley Giles and Graham Thorpe took a brilliant running catch.
Kiwis hold out for a Test draw
[A] men could run his hand over these piles of meat and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats.
Taming the `Jungle'
Waugh was dismissed in the day's sixth over when he palmed off the ball with his right hand as it appeared to be going towards the stumps following an attempted sweep off Harbhajan.
Aussies collapse; CRICKET
As ants climb the stick, the apes withdraw the tool; with a hand twist, they sweep off insects with their lips.
Chimps may put their own spin on culture