clean out

verb

cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out

1

: to remove unwanted things from (a room, closet, etc.)

We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.

2

informal : to steal or take everything from (someone or something)

The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.

3

informal : to use up all or most of the money of (someone)

Buying the house really cleaned us out. Now we're broke.

Examples of clean out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Aim for a more thorough cleaning each month by removing items and cleaning out drawers and shelves and wiping down seals. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Cal Fire says homeowners should remove dry brush, have at least five feet of defensible space around the home and clean out the gutters. —Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 16 June 2026

Also starring Aaron Paul, Nina Dobrev and Luke Evans, the Australian action thriller follows Crowe’s aging club owner whose dreams of retirement go awry when an armed robbery cleans out his business. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026

The film stars Crowe as an ageing club owner whose dreams of selling-up and retiring are scuppered when an masked robber cleans out the business. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 June 2026

Rhymes for clean out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout