clean (up) 1 of 2

Definition of clean (up)next
1
as in to tidy (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

cleanup

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clean (up)
Noun
The cleanup of large industrial pollution sites in Waterbury and Ansonia-Seymour received $4 million each, but otherwise New Britain got the biggest share. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 Well, Teel is finally back behind the dish for the big club — where the former first-rounder slotted right back into a potentially fantasy-rich cleanup spot for the ascendant White Sox. John Laghezza, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Detroit City Council members were confronted with the highest cleanup contract proposal yet – nearly $93,000 to remove and replace the toxic dirt at a property on 25th Street. Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 26 June 2026 The plaza will offer basic utilities, including trash pickup and cleanup services. Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
  • But because Twitch streams are live and not edited or censored like traditional TV programming, there are more risks involved regarding what young viewers may see onscreen.
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 28 June 2026
  • Vance asserted that the 2020 election was rigged due to tech companies censoring information.
    Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Incomplete or inappropriate antibiotic courses amplify this effect by exposing bacteria to sub-therapeutic drug concentrations without eradicating them.
    Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • Building new sterile fly production facilities in the Southwest helped eradicate the flies in that region too, and by 1966, the US was declared officially screwworm-free.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • The killing of the Montreal police officer is the first death in the line of duty in the city in decades, Dagher said.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • About a week after Kirk’s killing, Benjamin observed a minute of silence in his honor at the end of an assembly, which was followed by an invitation to gather at a flagpole and pray.
    Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Late 19th and Early 20th Century Most Western states capitalized on the barriers imposed on divorce and lessened their residency requirements to shorten the length of time one had to reside in the state to be able to file for divorce.
    Patricia Fersch, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The heat wave has also forced the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill to shorten its hours on July Fourth and adjust its match schedule starting Tuesday through Friday.
    Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • By the time the boundary issues were partially corrected in the 1960s, both the cemetery and the surrounding Black community had been largely erased from public memory.
    Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
  • Still, state environmental officials and weather experts say the rainfall deficits dating back to last fall have not been completely erased.
    Drew Kann, AJC.com, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • On Saturday and Sunday their restaurants — Nobby’s and The Cheese Steak Shop — will donate their profits to the families of Hull and Johnson.
    ALULA ALDERSON, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026
  • As a nonprofit organization, all of the profits from Rainbow Wool go to LSVD+, the largest nongovernmental organization in Germany advocating for LGBTQ+ people.
    Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
  • This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Avila Chevalier survived a deluge of attacks for previous social media posts that called for abolishing the police and prisons.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • Earlier this month, the bloc also released more information about its own plans for abolishing its de minimis exemption on June 30.
    Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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