Is there any difference between "swept away by" vs "swept up by/in" vs "swept over"?
For example, what is the best fit in the following sentences? Is there any difference if I were to replace one with the other?
Perhaps, conversely, the inordinate passion I was swept up in after my recent debut as a writer was to blame.
Herein lies one of the reasons why the history of humanity has often
been swept up in the storms of revolution by men possessed by their
desire for divinity.
Best Answer
Swept up in means "Suddenly very involved in something," whereas swept away by means "made extremely emotional or enthusiastic." In your example sentences, "swept up" is more appropriate.
An example of the expression swept away would be, "The football player was swept away by the support of his fans," meaning that his fans' support affected him emotionally.
Swept over is similar to swept away except in this case, the emotion is the thing that does the action, rather than the person. For example, "Delight swept over the football player as he heard the cheers of his fans."