mop-up

1 of 2

noun

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
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

Examples of mop-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The other young arms in camp closest to the majors — Kei-Wei Teng and Mason Black — have an uphill battle, given their lack of major-league experience compared to Beck, who posted a 3.92 ERA last season while performing every duty from starter to mop-up man to closer. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Washington was the Ohio Gatorade boys basketball Player of the Year in 2023 and has played in 10 games this season, but just once in conference: one minute in mop-up time against Iowa. Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024 Why go from a franchise in win-now mode while still under contract to the roster mop-up mess in San Francisco? Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2023 Kenley Jansen was relegated to mop-up duty after struggling early in the 2020 postseason. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 In 2018, Jones threw 13 passes in mop-up duty behind Tagovailoa and Hurts and got on the field as a holder for kicks, too. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023 Pérez, an All-Star a year ago, has been frustrated by the diminished role, but has kept himself prepared and has executed in the thankless role of mop-up man. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 29 Aug. 2023 And so, an All-Star a year ago and likely in his final season as a Ranger, Pérez will take the ball as a mop-up man and do what is asked. Evan Grant, Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2023 Blake rushed nine times a year ago, getting the ball in mop-up time. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
Verb
The fire was contained at about 5:30 p.m. Crews remained for another two hours to mop up. Giuseppe Ricapito, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2024 If the Padres mop up rotation and positional messes, with an expectation that top-of-the-lineup stars bounce back, the team could be more well rounded. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2023 Then that left me with the blues to mop up for the win. Kris Holt, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 To complete the meal, serve with a simple leafy salad and, of course, crusty bread for mopping up the sauce. Christopher Kimball, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Dec. 2023 Advertisement The Aztecs still are mopping up some messes in Aisle 1. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2024 Congress created the mess, leaving it to the IRS to mop up. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2023 Some weeks dusting was the hot item, other times the littles would sweep and mop up a storm. Martin Cizmar, WIRED, 20 Dec. 2023 Instead of mopping up a sea of red ink, Paramount is walking away with a distribution fee from Apple. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mop-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mop-up was circa 1811

Dictionary Entries Near mop-up

Cite this Entry

“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mop-up. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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