clean sweep

1. A large-scale removal of unwanted people or objects to expedite change. In an effort to save the company, the new CEO made a clean sweep and replaced everyone in the finance department. Wow, the garage looks completely different after our big clean sweep!

2. A victory by a large margin, especially one in which the opposing side accumulated none or a very small fraction of the votes, points, etc., required to win. Used especially in politics. The election was a clean sweep for the senator, who won in nearly every county. My team achieved a clean sweep at the national mathematics competition.

clean sweep

a broad movement clearing or affecting everything in its pathway. The manager and everybody in accounting got fired in a clean sweep of that department. Everybody got a pay rise. It was a clean sweep.

clean sweep

n. a broad movement clearing or affecting everything in the pathway. (Usually figurative.) Everybody got a raise. It was a clean sweep.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Alphonzo	al-FAHN-zo	English (Rare)
Hikaru	hee-kah-ṙoo	Japanese
Ottavio	-	Italian
Merfyn	-	Welsh
Bryanna	-	English (Modern)
Elkanah	el-KAYN-ə (English)	Biblical, Biblical Hebrew