1. To return to some position or status very quickly and unequivocally. The party swept back to power following landslide victories in the presidential and congressional elections. The politician's hopes of sweeping back to office were dashed by the discovery of his tax fraud.

2. To cause someone or some group to return to some position or status very quickly and unequivocally. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "back." Often used in passive constructions. Simmering frustration and anger among voters with the current administration helped sweep the opposing party to power. He was swept back to office by an incredibly successful grassroots campaign. I have no interest in being swept back to the world of espionage.

3. To cause someone to vividly recollect or relive a particular memory or period of their lives. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "sweep" and "back." Seeing his daughter head off for her first day of college swept him back to his time at Harvard. Walking along the streets of Paris hand in hand, we were instantly swept back to our honeymoon 20 years earlier.