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
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2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
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3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
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as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Place rugs in areas where liquids may spill or accumulate and cause damage and prioritize quick cleanups.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025
The changes, which will go into effect in 2026, were approved by the General Assembly’s legislative regulation review committee and rely on investigation performed by property owners or prospective buyers and lenders to determine whether pollution is present and needs a cleanup.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
The county has so far shared only results from standing homes, which are not eligible for the Army Corps of Engineers cleanup.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
In partnership with the Conch Republic Marine Army, Isla Bella regularly organizes beach cleanups as part of Mangrove Restoration and has donated $85K for a boat to aid in local restoration efforts.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Place rugs in areas where liquids may spill or accumulate and cause damage and prioritize quick cleanups.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025
The changes, which will go into effect in 2026, were approved by the General Assembly’s legislative regulation review committee and rely on investigation performed by property owners or prospective buyers and lenders to determine whether pollution is present and needs a cleanup.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
The county has so far shared only results from standing homes, which are not eligible for the Army Corps of Engineers cleanup.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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China’s quick move to censor the social media accounts of Chinese fighters in Russia is to have been expected, according to Maria Repnikova, the Georgia State University expert.—
Yong Xiong, Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2025
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Further, the potential for politicians to weaponize the takedown system to censor criticism should not be ignored, the EFF warned in another blog.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Screwworms were eradicated from the US by about 1966.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2025
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The Department of Justice eradicated a decades-long civil rights case regarding the desegregation of a Louisiana school district.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Shortly before the struggle, the man now identified as a suspect in the killing was captured on several residents’ Ring cameras trying to get into other apartments in the building.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
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Duterte left office in 2022 and is now awaiting trial in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly allowing tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings during his war on the country's drug trade.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Scientists have learned that mother plants can take stock of environmental conditions and relay signals to developing seeds to prolong or shorten this dormancy.—
Katarina Zimmer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 May 2025
-
The amateur draft was shortened from 40 rounds to five, quashing the possibility that Morgan would be drafted out of OCC that summer.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Every February, Dresden seeks to commemorate the Allied bombing attack in 1945 that essentially erased the city.—
Mark Sappenfield,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 May 2025
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Buxton’s leadoff single in the ninth inning was erased by a double play, and the Twins only scored once in the 10th on Jonah Bride’s sac fly.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
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More: Tesla profits plummet 71% amid backlash to Musk's role with Trump administration Musk says $1 trillion goal hasn't changed Steve Davis, a top DOGE aide and longtime Musk loyalist, is expected to assume a larger role in operations.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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No profits will be withdrawn for at least 10 years.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
This interview has been edited and (barely!) condensed.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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This interview has been edited for clarity and length. IndieWire: Was there anything left on your bucket list for the show, going into this last season?—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2025
Verb
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The most recent collective bargaining agreement, signed by the players and the league, abolished the college draft and opened the door for every new player to enter the league as a free agent.—
Meg Linehan,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Others, like the Cato Institute, go one step further and suggest FEMA be abolished entirely, replaced by market solutions and state compacts.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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