swept away

sweep away

1. Literally, to brush, push, or carry someone or something away. A noun or pronoun can be used between "sweep" and "away." The giant wave swept the entire road away. The hurricane's winds were so strong that they swept away entire buildings. He swept the papers away in anger.
2. To eliminate or dispose of someone or something quickly and decisively. A noun or pronoun can be used between "sweep" and "away." The returning champions have so far swept away every competitor with ease. The fracture in my leg swept my dreams of competing in the Olympics away in an instant.
See also: away, sweep

swept away

Awed or overwhelmed, typically in a positive way. We were simply swept away by the spectacle of the Grand Canyon, and ended up staying at the park much longer than we had planned.
See also: away, swept
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • bury away
  • bear away
  • boring
  • borne
  • bring away
  • blaze away
  • blaze away at (someone or something)
  • chew away
  • bat away
  • chuck away
References in classic literature
Ferguson and his two companions, Richard Kennedy and Joseph Wilson, clinging to the cordage and network of a balloon, and that the said balloon fell at a distance of a few paces from us into the river, and being swept away by the current was lost in the cataracts of Gouina.
A terrific east wind swept away the groups of clouds which had been so long gathering, and at night the semi-disc of the orb of night rode majestically amid the soft constellations of the sky.
As it meandered among rocks and precipices, they were frequently obliged to ford it, and such was its rapidity that the men were often in danger of being swept away. Sometimes the banks advanced so close upon the river that they were obliged to scramble up and down their rugged promontories, or to skirt along their bases where there was scarce a foothold.
If the proletariat during its contest with the bourgeoisie is compelled, by the force of circumstances, to organise itself as a class, if, by means of a revolution, it makes itself the ruling class, and, as such, sweeps away by force the old conditions of production, then it will, along with these conditions, have swept away the conditions for the existence of class antagonisms and of classes generally, and will thereby have abolished its own supremacy as a class.
Turenne heaved a deep sigh, called Conde `My cousin,' and swept away his army.
A life of peaceful study was no longer possible, the learning of two hundred years was swept away, the lamp of knowledge lit by the monks grew dim and flickered out.
If he failed her--if he could not measure up to her standard of manhood--then, as she held out her hand, their eyes met and all doubt was swept away in a glad certainty.
She put it to her lips, and a rush of remembered sensations for a moment or two swept away all fear.
When the waves began to tumble and toss and to grow bigger and bigger the ship rolled up and down, and tipped sidewise--first one way and then the other--and was jostled around so roughly that even the sailor-men had to hold fast to the ropes and railings to keep themselves from being swept away by the wind or pitched headlong into the sea.
Then, before he could pull it out again--or let go--the raft was swept away, and the poor Scarecrow left clinging to the pole in the middle of the river.
THERE was something about Aunt Polly's manner, when she kissed Tom, that swept away his low spirits and made him light- hearted and happy again.
Suddenly there came a letter saying that the firm had gone into bankruptcy, that the business had been completely wrecked, and that the Sawyer money had been swept away with everything else.
He rose and placed his candle unsuspectingly on the floor near his loom, swept away the sand without noticing any change, and removed the bricks.
"If any handsome woman come to seek justice of thee, turn away thine eyes from her tears and thine ears from her lamentations, and consider deliberately the merits of her demand, if thou wouldst not have thy reason swept away by her weeping, and thy rectitude by her sighs.
I have actually known a case where a Woman has exterminated her whole household, and half an hour afterwards, when her rage was over and the fragments swept away, has asked what has become of her husband and her children.