clean out

phrasal verb

cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out

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

We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.

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

The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.

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 Litter Robot, on the other hand, was the result of the CEO’s own experience cleaning out his cats’ litterbox. Use quantitative tools to disaggregate and manage distinct risk factors in concept development, revenue forecasting and launch planning. —

Stuart Jackson, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 Black Mountain resident Diane Douglas, 58, has been cleaning out her unlivable home. —

Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2024 As Boone digs out, remote area braces for long road to recovery In Boone on Tuesday, restaurant staff were cleaning out mud from floors and parking lots. —

Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024 For flooding, clean out drains and gutters, stockpile on protective materials including plastic sheeting and maybe instal a sump pump with battery backup. —

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clean out

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clean out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.