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
Kaptur should go ahead and start cleaning out her office now.
—
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 6 May 2026
The remains were discovered in the garage when the home, which had been vacant, was being cleaned out for new ownership, according to the Cleveland Police Department’s Public Information Office.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 4 May 2026
But more recently, businesspeople have been buying hundreds of packs at a time, cleaning out the last of the remaining stock this month.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Oh, the Senators cleaned out their lockers yesterday?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean out
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Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 6 May 2026
The remains were discovered in the garage when the home, which had been vacant, was being cleaned out for new ownership, according to the Cleveland Police Department’s Public Information Office.
—Sarah Dahlberg, NBC news, 4 May 2026
But more recently, businesspeople have been buying hundreds of packs at a time, cleaning out the last of the remaining stock this month.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Oh, the Senators cleaned out their lockers yesterday?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean out
Cite this Entry
“Clean out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20out. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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