From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsweep up phrasal verb1 DHCto clean the dust, dirt etc from the floor or ground using a brush with a long handle The janitor was just sweeping up as I left the building.sweep something ↔ up Jan was sweeping up the bits of paper and broken glass.2 sweep somebody ↔ upLIFT to pick someone up in one quick movement Harriet swept the child up in her arms and hugged her. → sweep→ See Verb table
