mop-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäp-ˌəp 

often attributive

: a concluding action or phase

mop up

2 of 2

verb

mopped up; mopping up; mops up

transitive verb

1

British : to consume eagerly

2

: to gather as if by absorbing

also : garner

mopped up all the awards

3

: to overcome decisively : trounce

mopped up their rivals

4

: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive

intransitive verb

: to complete a project, transaction, or task

I'm almost done with the project. I just need a little time to mop up.

Synonyms of mop-up

Noun

• ending
• conclusion
• end
• finale
• finish
• closing
• culmination

Examples of mop-up in a Sentence

Noun

the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ware’s absence had Nikola Jovic back in the rotation mix, after he had been limited to four minutes of mop-up duty at the end of Monday night’s blowout loss to the Warriors. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026

Drivers were encouraged to seek alternate routes as the mop-up and investigation continued on Sunday. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026

Verb

One person’s entire job for the day is mopping up the floors; errant slicks of sweat could cause a slip. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026

Use them for dusting, slipping over the head of a Swiffer to mop up a spill, or for making a sock puppet. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for mop-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup