An object or person that has been moved quickly and smoothly with force can be said to have been swept.
When something gets swept, it's often because there was some kind of strong movement involved - like wind blowing through a garden, or a broom being used to clear out leaves. When you're talking about the weather, you might say "The storm swept through town" which means the wind moved quickly and powerfully. If someone is sweeping up debris with a broom, they're using that same kind of force to clean up the area.
How common is "swept"?
Word swept is considered rare in modern English. It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
verb
To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
Example: to sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney
To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
Example: The offended countess swept out of the ballroom.
To search (a place) methodically.
To travel quickly.
To play a sweep shot.
To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
Example: She swept the peelings off the table onto the floor.
To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
Example: Their long descending train, / With rubies edg'd and sapphires, swept the plain.
To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
To strike with a long stroke.
To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
To draw or drag something over.
Example: to sweep the bottom of a river with a net
To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
