clean sweep

plural clean sweeps

1. governmentA complete or overwhelming victory, especially one in which all or almost all possible electoral contests are won.

   In November 1928, as the beneficiaries of this revulsion, the Liberals made a clean sweep of every seat on the borough council.

   1989, Geoffrey Alderman, “Municipal Reaction and the Rise of Labour”, in London Jewry and London politics, 1889-1986, →ISBN, page 70

   2 more examples

   By 1991 his constituency had made a clean sweep of all twelve local council seats, that's in part to Nellist’s high-profile efforts.

   1992, Richard Heffernan, Mike Marqusee, “The Purge”, in Defeat from the jaws of victory: inside Kinnock's Labour Party, →ISBN, page 296

   George W. Bush made a clean sweep of the region once the dust had cleared from the Florida debacle more than a month after the election, adding 124 votes from elsewhere for a scrape-by total of 271 votes to claim the nation's highest office.

   2002, Robert P. Steed, Laurence W. Moreland, “A Victory for Valence Issues”, in The 2000 presidential election in the South: partisanship and southern party systems in the 21st century, Volume 2000, →ISBN, page 37

2. hobbiesThe winning, by a person or team, of all the possible possible prizes, games, rounds or contests, etc in a competition, season or series.

   He achieved a clean sweep winning four professional majors in a span of 294 days.

   2001 April 23, “Tiger Wins”, in JET, volume 99, number 19, Johnson Publishing Company, →ISSN, page 55

   2 more examples

   Scott Russell, who had sewn up the Yokohama 750cc Supersport championship earlier in the year, completed a clean sweep of the series races with his ninth victory in Miami.

   1992 January, “Freddie is fastest in Miami”, in American Motorcyclist, volume 46, number 1, American Motorcyclist Association, →ISSN, page 38

   India made a clean sweep of medals in the boys’ under-12 and girls’ under 10 sections.

   2008 September, “Chess”, in Pratiyogita Darpan, volume 3, number 27, Pratiyogita Darpan, page 398

   Synonyms: podium sweep

3. figurativelyA thorough change of policies, personnel or objects, removing or replacing all or almost all of that which existed previously.

   [In 1951] Colby had an almost clean sweep of his closest official advisors.

   1994, Colin Baker, “Relationships with Officials”, in Development governor: a biography of Sir Geoffrey Colby, →ISBN, page 119

   1 more example

   These were unfortunate selections and Mr. Quincy, who had the consular appointments in charge, so made an almost clean sweep in that branch of the service, removing Republicans and putting Democrats in with “unprecedented vivacity.”

   1919, William Dudley Foulke, “CLEVELAND'S SECOND TERM”, in Fighting the Spoilsmen (Politics and People: The Ordeal of Self-Government in America), published 1974, →ISBN, page 96