cleanup

1 of 3

noun

clean·​up ˈklēn-ˌəp 

1

: an act or instance of cleaning

The children helped with the cleanup.

2

: an exceptionally large profit

made a cleanup [=killing] when he sold his stocks

cleanup

2 of 3

adjective

: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team

a cleanup hitter

cleanup adverb

clean up

3 of 3

verb

cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up

intransitive verb

1

: to make a spectacular profit in a business enterprise or a killing in speculation or gambling

2

: to become free of drug or alcohol addiction

I always cleaned up for tours. … By the end of the tour, I'm perfectly clean and should have stayed sober.

—Keith Richards

Examples of cleanup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some environmental groups agree tribes should have a greater say, yet support the project because it’s pitched as a major cleanup effort. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

According to GreenPal, leaf removal and yard cleanup costs in Connecticut generally range from $100 to $450 per visit on average for standard residential yards, while larger or late-season properties can span $150 to $600+ depending on the scope. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Meanwhile, Ella was explaining to my mother why the teacher had sent a note home with her and recounting how her friend Stacy had played kitchen with a new girl during free time at school and allowed Ella to join them only for the cleanup part. — Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026

Volunteers from the Salvation Army of Arkansas, the American Red Cross, and Baptist Disaster Relief arrived in town throughout the day on Friday to assist with cleanup efforts and support. — Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 25 Apr. 2026

Verb

Researchers think a refundable deposit scheme could force satellite operators to clean up their act before a tipping point is reached. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

The Hurricanes cleaned up the penalties in the second half and did not record a foul in the last two quarters and overtime. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

see clean entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cleanup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

cleanup

noun

clean·​up

ˈklē-ˌnəp

: an act or instance of cleaning

helped with the cleanup after the meal