mop

verb

mopped; mopping

transitive verb

1

: to use a mop on

specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping

mop the floors

—often used with up

mop up the spillage

2

: to wipe as if with a mop

mopped his brow with a handkerchief

intransitive verb

: to clean a surface (such as a floor) with a mop

mopper noun

Examples of mop in a Sentence

He mopped the sweat from his brow.

Recent Examples on the Web

This suggests the Japanese habit is learned in the school system, where children sweep their own classrooms, mop their own hallways and serve their own lunches. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 1 June 2026

Stone and tile floors can be mopped with cotton towels moistened with very hot water. —Emerson Latham, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026

The last step is always mopping. —Aliyah Rodriguez, The Spruce, 27 May 2026

This is done by building staff, often after the stairway’s floor is mopped. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing mop

• dry mop
• dust mop
• mop up

Rhymes for mop

• bop
• chop
• cop
• crop
• drop
• flop
• fop
• hop
• knop
• lop
• op
• plop

Kids Definition

mop

1 of 2 noun

ˈmäp 

1

: a tool for cleaning made of a bundle of cloth or yarn or a sponge fastened to a handle

2

: something resembling a mop

a tangled mop of hair

mop

2 of 2 verb

mopped; mopping

: to wipe or clean with or as if with a mop

mop the floor

mopped my brow with a handkerchief