Meaning & use
swept up
Last updated
“swept up” is a form of “sweep up”.
Meanings
phrasephrasal verb
Carried along by a strong feeling, activity, or situation, often without thinking clearly.
Grammar: Used mostly in the passive or after 'get': people are swept up in something.
Patterns
- be swept up in something
- get swept up in something
- swept up by something
The whole crowd was swept up in the excitement of the final goal.
She got swept up in the moment and agreed to sing on stage.
Many young people were swept up by the promises of the new movement.
phrasephrasal verb
Removed from a surface with a brush or broom.
Grammar: Often passive; the object is the dirt or pieces being removed.
Patterns
- be swept up
- sweep something up
- sweep up something
All the broken glass was carefully swept up before the children came back.
He swept up the leaves that had fallen on the path.
The crumbs were swept up and thrown away.
phrasephrasal verb
Lifted and carried away quickly by a force such as water or wind.
Grammar: Usually passive; the subject is the person or thing being moved.
Patterns
- be swept up by something
- get swept up
The small boat was swept up by the waves and thrown onto the rocks.
Dust was swept up into the air by the passing truck.
Word forms
| base form | sweep up |
|---|---|
| third person singular | sweeps up |
| past tense | swept up |
| past participle | swept up |
| -ing form | sweeping up |
Common combinations
- get swept up in
- It is easy to get swept up in the excitement of a big sale.
- be swept up by
- The village was swept up by the floodwaters.
- sweep up the mess
- Please sweep up the mess before you leave.
- swept up in the moment
- He was swept up in the moment and forgot his shyness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- carried away
- Focuses on losing control of your feelings; 'swept up' often suggests being part of a group or larger force.
- caught up
- Similar but often means being involved in something, not necessarily moved by strong emotion.
- engulfed
- Stronger and more formal; used for being completely surrounded or swallowed by something.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: swept up or swept? swept up or swapped?
swept up vs swept
This is just the past tense of 'sweep'; 'swept up' adds the idea of being carried away or removed completely.
swept up vs swapped
Sounds a little similar but means exchanged; it has nothing to do with sweeping or being carried along.
Practice
Complete the sentence: The fans were ______ the excitement of the concert and forgot the rain.
Choose one answer.
'Swept up in' is the fixed phrase for being carried along by a feeling or activity. 'Swept up by' is used for physical forces like waves, and 'on' and 'with' do not fit this expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “swept up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.