Sweep vs. Swipe — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 18, 2024
Sweep refers to a broad, continuous movement, often for cleaning or searching, while swipe involves a quick, smooth motion, typically used in the context of using a card, stealing, or touching a screen.
Difference Between Sweep and Swipe
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Sweeping is an action that encompasses a wide, often repetitive motion intended to clean, remove, or search across a certain area. It's commonly associated with using a broom to clean floors or an extensive search across an area. Swiping, on the other hand, denotes a brisk, smooth action that is generally quicker and more focused. This action is frequently linked to modern technology, such as swiping a finger across a touchscreen to interact with apps or swiping a card through a reader for payment or access.
In cleaning contexts, sweeping is designed to cover larger areas, using broad strokes to gather or remove debris, dust, or other unwanted materials. Conversely, swiping might be used to describe a quick, targeted cleaning motion, such as wiping a spill off a table or removing dust from a specific surface.
Technologically, swiping has become a fundamental gesture in the use of smartphones, tablets, and touch-sensitive interfaces, allowing for the navigation and interaction with digital content through simple, fluid motions. Sweeping does not commonly apply in technology in the same way, as it implies a more labor-intensive and less precise action.
The physical exertion and intent behind each action also differ. Sweeping requires a certain level of physical effort and is often methodical, aiming for thoroughness over speed. Swiping is more about efficiency and speed, accomplishing an immediate goal with minimal effort, whether it's unlocking a phone, making a payment, or quickly cleaning a small area.
While both involve motion, the nature, purpose, and implications of sweep versus swipe are distinct, reflecting the actions' varying roles in everyday tasks and technological interactions.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A broad, continuous movement, often for cleaning or searching
A quick, smooth motion, typically for using a card or touchscreen
Common Uses
Cleaning floors, searching an area
Using touchscreens, making card payments
Associated Tools
Broom, brush
Fingers, cards
Motion
Wide and often repetitive
Quick and focused
Purpose
To clean, collect, or remove debris over a large area
To interact with technology or clean specific spots
Technological Use
Less common, mainly in physical tasks
Fundamental for digital interactions
Physical Effort
Requires more effort, methodical
Minimal effort, aimed at efficiency
Intent
Thoroughness over speed
Immediate action with speed and ease
Compare with Definitions
Sweep
A comprehensive victory in a series.
The team achieved a sweep in the playoffs.
Swipe
To steal or take without permission.
Someone swiped my lunch from the fridge.
Sweep
To cover an extensive range or scope.
The novel sweeps across decades of history.
Swipe
To clean or wipe quickly.
Swipe the counter to clean up the spill.
Sweep
To move or remove something across an area.
The wind swept the leaves off the sidewalk.
Swipe
A quick, smooth movement, especially on a touchscreen.
Swipe left to see more options.
Sweep
A wide-ranging search or survey.
The police conducted a sweep of the area.
Swipe
To pass a card through a reader.
Swipe your card to enter the building.
Sweep
Make a big sweeping gesture or movement
Swipe
To strike or hit with a sweeping motion.
He swiped at the fly with a newspaper.
Sweep
To clean or clear, as of dirt, with a broom or brush
Sweep a chimney.
Swipe
A sweeping blow or stroke.
Sweep
To clear away with a broom or brush
Swept snow from the steps.
Swipe
The passing of a swipe card through an electronic reader.
Sweep
To clear (a path or space) with a broom or brush.
Swipe
(Informal) A critical remark.
Sweep
To search thoroughly
The counselors swept the dormitory during the fire drill.
Swipe
A lever, especially one that raises the bucket in a well.
Sweep
To search for and remove (electronic eavesdropping devices) from a place
Swept the room for bugs.
Swipe
To hit with a sweeping motion.
Sweep
To touch or brush lightly, as with a trailing garment
Willow branches sweeping the ground.
Swipe
To pass (a swipe card) through an electronic reader.
Sweep
To pass over or through a surface or medium with a continuous movement
He swept the sponge over the tile. The conductor swept her baton through the air.
Swipe
(Informal) To steal; filch.
Sweep
To clear, drive, or convey with relentless force
The flood waters swept away everything in their path.
Swipe
To make a sweeping stroke.
Sweep
To wipe out at a single stroke. Often used with away
The incident in effect swept away all her dreams.
Swipe
(intransitive) To grab or bat quickly.
The cat swiped at the shoelace.
Sweep
To remove or carry off with a swift brushing motion
Swept the cards off the table.
Swept the child into his arms.
Swipe
(transitive) To strike with a strong blow in a sweeping motion.
Sweep
To move across or through swiftly or broadly
News of the lunar landing swept the country.
Swipe
(transitive) To scan or register by sliding (a swipecard etc.) through a reader.
He swiped his card at the door.
Sweep
To pass quickly across, as when searching
His gaze swept the horizon.
Swipe
To interact with a touch screen by drawing one's finger rapidly across it.
Swipe left to hide the toolbar.
Sweep
To drag the bottom of (a body of water).
Swipe
To steal or snatch.
Hey! Who swiped my lunch?
Sweep
To win all games in (a series) or all stages of (a contest)
Swept the World Series.
Swipe
(countable) A quick grab, bat, or other motion with the hand or paw; a sweep.
Sweep
To win overwhelmingly in
The opposition party swept the election.
Swipe
(countable) A strong blow given with a sweeping motion, as with a bat or club.
Sweep
To clean or clear a surface with a broom or brush.
Swipe
An act of interacting with a touch screen by drawing the finger rapidly across it.
Sweep
To search an area for something.
Swipe
(countable) An act of passing a swipecard through a card reader.
Sweep
To search for and remove electronic eavesdropping devices.
Swipe
A rough guess; an estimate or swag.
Take a swipe at the answer, even if you're not sure.
Sweep
To move swiftly or broadly
The wind swept over the plain.
Swipe
An attack, insult or critical remark.
The politician took a swipe at his opponents.
Sweep
To move swiftly in a lofty manner, as if in a trailing robe
She swept by in silence.
Swipe
(uncountable) Poor, weak beer or other inferior alcoholic beverage; rotgut.
Sweep
To trail, as a long garment.
Swipe
A swape or sweep. See Sweep.
Sweep
To extend gracefully, especially in a long curve
The hills sweep down to the sea.
Swipe
A strong blow given with a sweeping motion, as with a bat or club.
Swipes [in cricket] over the blower's head, and over either of the long fields.
Sweep
To extend in a wide range
Searchlights swept across the sky.
Swipe
Poor, weak beer; small beer.
Sweep
A clearing out or removal with a broom or brush.
Swipe
To give a swipe to; to strike forcibly with a sweeping motion, as a ball.
Loose balls may be swiped almost ad libitum.
Sweep
A thorough search of an area
A police sweep for drug dealers.
Swipe
To pluck; to snatch; to steal.
Sweep
A search for and removal of electronic eavesdropping devices, as in a room.
Swipe
A sweeping stroke or blow
Sweep
A wide curving motion
A sweep of the arm.
Swipe
Strike with a swiping motion
Sweep
A curve or contour that resembles the path of sweeping motion
The sweep of her hair.
Swipe
Make off with belongings of others
Sweep
An extent or stretch
A sweep of green lawn.
Sweep
Range or scope
The broad sweep of history.
Sweep
(Football) An end run in which one or more linemen leave the line of scrimmage and block in advance of the ball carrier.
Sweep
One who sweeps, especially a chimney sweep.
Sweep
Sweeps Sweepings.
Sweep
The winning of all stages of a game or contest.
Sweep
An overwhelming victory or success.
Sweep
A long oar used to propel a boat.
Sweep
A long pole attached to a pivot and used to raise or lower a bucket in a well.
Sweep
Sweeps (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Informal Sweepstakes.
Sweep
Sweeps The period each fall, winter, and spring when television ratings are accrued and studied and advertising rates are reset.
Sweep
The national survey of local stations that is conducted to determine these ratings.
Sweep
The steady motion of an electron beam across a cathode-ray tube.
Sweep
(transitive) To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
To sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney
Sweep
(intransitive) To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
The wind sweeps across the plain.
The offended countess swept out of the ballroom.
Sweep
(transitive) To search (a place) methodically.
Sweep
To travel quickly.
Sweep
(cricket) To play a sweep shot.
Sweep
(curling) To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
Sweep
To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
Sweep
To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
Sweep
To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
Sweep
(military) To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines.
The channel was swept twice before the battlefleet proceeded through it.
Sweep
(transitive) To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
She swept the peelings off the table onto the floor.
The wind sweeps the snow from the hills.
The flooded river swept away the wooden dam.
Sweep
To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
Sweep
To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
Sweep
To strike with a long stroke.
Sweep
(rowing) To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
Sweep
(nautical) To draw or drag something over.
To sweep the bottom of a river with a net
Sweep
To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
To sweep the heavens with a telescope
Sweep
To vacuum a carpet or rug.
Sweep
A single action of sweeping.
Give the front steps a quick sweep to get rid of those fallen leaves.
Sweep
The person who steers a dragon boat.
Sweep
A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew.
Sweep
A chimney sweep.
Sweep
A methodical search, typically for bugs electronic listening devices.
Sweep
(cricket) A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat.
Bradman attempted a sweep, but in fact top edged the ball to the wicket keeper
Sweep
A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins.
Jim will win fifty dollars in the office sweep if Japan wins the World Cup.
Sweep
A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland.
Sweep
(aviation) The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage.
The MiG-17's inner wing has 45 degrees of sweep.
Sweep
(martial arts) A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs.
Sweep
Violent and general destruction.
The sweep of an epidemic disease
Sweep
(metalworking) A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding.
Sweep
(card games) In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table.
Sweep
The compass of any turning body or of any motion.
The sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye
Sweep
Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line.
Sweep
A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them.
Sweep
(rowing) A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side.
I am primarily a sweep rower.
Sweep
The almond furnace.
Sweep
A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water.
Sweep
Any of the blades of a windmill.
Sweep
(in the plural) The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
Sweep
Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae).
Sweep
An expanse or a swath, a strip of land.
Sweep
To pass a broom across (a surface) so as to remove loose dirt, dust, etc.; to brush, or rub over, with a broom for the purpose of cleaning; as, to sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney. Used also figuratively.
I will sweep it with the besom of destruction.
Sweep
To drive or carry along or off with a broom or a brush, or as if with a broom; to remove by, or as if by, brushing; as, to sweep dirt from a floor; the wind sweeps the snow from the hills; a freshet sweeps away a dam, timber, or rubbish; a pestilence sweeps off multitudes.
The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies.
I have already swept the stakes.
Sweep
To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
Their long descending train,With rubies edged and sapphires, swept the plain.
Sweep
To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
And like a peacock sweep along his tail.
Sweep
To strike with a long stroke.
Wake into voice each silent string,And sweep the sounding lyre.
Sweep
To draw or drag something over; as, to sweep the bottom of a river with a net.
Sweep
To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation; as, to sweep the heavens with a telescope.
Sweep
To clean rooms, yards, etc., or to clear away dust, dirt, litter, etc., with a broom, brush, or the like.
Sweep
To brush swiftly over the surface of anything; to pass with switness and force, as if brushing the surface of anything; to move in a stately manner; as, the wind sweeps across the plain; a woman sweeps through a drawing-room.
Sweep
To pass over anything comprehensively; to range through with rapidity; as, his eye sweeps through space.
Sweep
The act of sweeping.
Sweep
The compass or range of a stroke; as, a long sweep.
Sweep
The compass of any turning body or of any motion; as, the sweep of a door; the sweep of the eye.
Sweep
The compass of anything flowing or brushing; as, the flood carried away everything within its sweep.
Sweep
Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease.
Sweep
Direction and extent of any motion not rectlinear; as, the sweep of a compass.
Sweep
Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, or the like, away from a rectlinear line.
The road which makes a small sweep.
Sweep
One who sweeps; a sweeper; specifically, a chimney sweeper.
Sweep
A movable templet for making molds, in loam molding.
Sweep
The mold of a ship when she begins to curve in at the rungheads; any part of a ship shaped in a segment of a circle.
Sweep
The almond furnace.
Sweep
A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water.
Sweep
In the game of casino, a pairing or combining of all the cards on the board, and so removing them all; in whist, the winning of all the tricks (thirteen) in a hand; a slam.
Sweep
The sweeping of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc.
Sweep
A wide scope;
The sweep of the plains
Sweep
Someone who cleans soot from chimneys
Sweep
Winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge
Sweep
A long oar used in an open boat
Sweep
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line
Sweep
A movement in an arc;
A sweep of his arm
Sweep
Sweep across or over;
Her long skirt brushed the floor
A gasp swept cross the audience
Sweep
Move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions;
The diva swept into the room
Shreds of paper sailed through the air
The searchlights swept across the sky
Sweep
Sweep with a broom or as if with a broom;
Sweep the crumbs off the table
Sweep under the bed
Sweep
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
Sweep
To cover or extend over an area or time period;
Rivers traverse the valley floor
The parking lot spans 3 acres
The novel spans three centuries
Sweep
Clean by sweeping;
Please sweep the floor
Sweep
Win an overwhelming victory in or on;
Her new show dog swept all championships
Sweep
Cover the entire range of
Common Curiosities
How do you swipe a card?
To swipe a card, you pass it quickly through a card reader, typically to make a payment or gain access to a secure area.
What makes a swipe gesture important in technology?
Swipe gestures are crucial for intuitive interaction with touchscreens, allowing users to navigate and access information efficiently.
Is sweeping always related to cleaning?
Primarily, yes, but it can also refer to searching, a comprehensive win, or covering a broad range in other contexts.
Can swipe have negative connotations?
Yes, in the context of stealing or taking something without permission, swipe can have a negative connotation.
What does it mean to sweep a room?
Sweeping a room means cleaning or clearing it of dust, debris, or other materials, usually with a broom.
Can "sweep" and "swipe" be used interchangeably?
While both involve motion, they are not usually interchangeable due to their specific contexts and meanings.
How has the meaning of swipe evolved with technology?
Swipe has evolved to predominantly describe interactions with touchscreens and digital interfaces, expanding beyond its physical origins.
What skills are necessary for effective sweeping?
Effective sweeping requires proper technique, physical effort, and sometimes persistence to thoroughly clean or search an area.
Why is swiping a card a common method of payment?
Swiping a card is quick, easy, and enables electronic verification of payment information, making transactions more efficient.
What does a "clean sweep" mean in competitions?
In competitions, a "clean sweep" refers to winning all possible prizes, matches, or segments, indicating total dominance.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
