clean out
phrasal verb
cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out
1
: to remove unwanted things from (a room, closet, etc.)
We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.
2
informal
: to steal or take everything from (someone or something)
The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.
3
informal
: to use up all or most of the money of (someone)
Buying the house really cleaned us out. Now we're broke.
Examples of clean out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Police were seen cleaning out the encampment around 11 a.m. and about a dozen people were seen sitting near a police vehicle with their hands zip tied behind their back.
—
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Blair said the plant has to clean out the rotating combs of one of his facility’s largest sorting machines three or more times a day to remove filmy plastic.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Automatic Litter Boxes Robotic litter boxes are big and expensive, and experts warn that not cleaning out a box every day could mean missing potential signs of sickness.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
And so, instead of heading to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, the Ravens will clean out their lockers while considering what went wrong and how to fix it.
—David Ginsburg, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Related Articles For me, this time of year is an opportunity to clean out the physical and electronic financial clutter in life, and to attend to some important to-dos.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
There was a flurry of activity lasting two days when a wren methodically cleaned out old feathers, droppings and dead insects, leaving behind a sparkling nest ready for the next brood, and likely the female was tucked inside during the latest cold, rainy and hailing night.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Shoulder discomfort ahead of the 2021 season has since led two surgeries, first in 2021 to repair a capsular tear in his right shoulder and clean out the backside of the joint and then another in 2022 for right shoulder arthroscopic bursectomy.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
The Lancaster terminal was cleaned out, and the doors rolled down and locked.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2024
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Blair said the plant has to clean out the rotating combs of one of his facility’s largest sorting machines three or more times a day to remove filmy plastic.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Automatic Litter Boxes Robotic litter boxes are big and expensive, and experts warn that not cleaning out a box every day could mean missing potential signs of sickness.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
And so, instead of heading to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, the Ravens will clean out their lockers while considering what went wrong and how to fix it.
—David Ginsburg, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2024
Related Articles For me, this time of year is an opportunity to clean out the physical and electronic financial clutter in life, and to attend to some important to-dos.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
There was a flurry of activity lasting two days when a wren methodically cleaned out old feathers, droppings and dead insects, leaving behind a sparkling nest ready for the next brood, and likely the female was tucked inside during the latest cold, rainy and hailing night.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024
Shoulder discomfort ahead of the 2021 season has since led two surgeries, first in 2021 to repair a capsular tear in his right shoulder and clean out the backside of the joint and then another in 2022 for right shoulder arthroscopic bursectomy.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
The Lancaster terminal was cleaned out, and the doors rolled down and locked.
—Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clean out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Clean out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20out. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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