Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sweep something under the rug

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English

Syllables: sweep- -some-thing un-der the rug
IPA

41

Scrabble Score

25

Letters

5

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To conceal a problem (usually an embarrassing or illegal one) expediently, rather than remedy it thoroughly.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: cover (sth.) up, draw a veil over (sth.)"
"“One of the problems with the entertainment industry is that, to protect the image of these people, they try to deal with the problem by sweeping it under the rug,” said John T. Schwarzlose, chief executive of the Betty Ford Center, the licensed addiction hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif."

Inflected Forms

sweeps something under the rug (present, singular) sweeping something under the rug (participle, present) swept something under the rug (participle, past) swept something under the rug (past)

Phrases

bury one's head in the sand change the subject cover-up

Frequently Paired Words

bury one's head in the sand change the subject cover-up deny shrug off wave away dismiss

Synonyms

brush something under the rug brush something under the carpet sweep something under the carpet cover up draw a veil over

Questions

What does sweep something under the rug mean?: To conceal a problem (usually an embarrassing or illegal one) expediently, rather than remedy it thoroughly.

How to pronounce sweep something under the rug

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