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

Students learn how to groom the horses, pick the dirt out of the hooves, understand the different parts of the saddle, tend to the horses’ health, and clean out the stalls. — Sarah Enelow-Snyder, Midwest Living, 19 July 2026

Investigators said surveillance video captured Rodolico cleaning out the back seat of his vehicle after Jones disappeared. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

Evangelista’s son said much of her frustration also stemmed from how the fire captains treated her possessions during the clean out. — Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026

Even a small garage clean out can make a big difference in how functional the space feels. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

Rhymes for clean out

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