sweep up

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Explanation of "Sweep Up"

Definition: The phrase "sweep up" can mean to gather or clean up things from the ground, but it also has other meanings in different contexts. It can refer to being caught up in a situation or feeling strongly about something, often without intending to.

Usage Instructions:

• Literal Meaning: Use "sweep up" when talking about cleaning or gathering things, especially small items like dirt or dust.
• Figurative Meaning: Use "sweep up" when discussing being involved in a situation or adopting someone else's beliefs or ideas.

Examples:

1. Literal Use:

   • "After the party, I had to sweep up all the confetti from the floor."

2. Figurative Use:

   • "Many people were swept up in the excitement of the concert, dancing and singing along."
   • "She was so inspired by his passion for environmentalism that she decided to sweep up his cause and start recycling more."

Advanced Usage:

In a more abstract sense, "sweep up" can also refer to the act of adopting a philosophy or lifestyle that someone else promotes.

Word Variants:

• Swept up (Past tense): "He was swept up in the momentum of the crowd."
• Sweeping up (Present participle): "They are sweeping up the park every Saturday as part of their community service."

Different Meanings:

1. To Clean: Literally gather and remove dirt or debris.
2. To Involve: To become part of a situation, often unexpectedly.
3. To Adopt: To take on beliefs or practices from others.

Synonyms:

• For Cleaning: Clean up, gather, collect.
• For Involvement: Get caught up, ensnared, involved.
• For Adopting Beliefs: Embrace, accept, take on.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

While "sweep up" itself is a phrasal verb, it can be part of expressions like: - "Swept away" - To be overwhelmed by emotions or events. - Example: "She was swept away by the beauty of the sunset."

Summary:

"Sweep up" can describe both a physical action of cleaning and a metaphorical action of becoming involved in something.

Academic

Verb

1. take up the cause, ideology, practice, method, of someone and use it as one's own
   • She embraced Catholicism
   • They adopted the Jewish faith
2. force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action
   • They were swept up by the events
   • don't drag me into this business

Synonyms

• espouse
• embrace
• adopt
• embroil
• tangle
• sweep
• drag
• drag in