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

Other Seeds projects include the linking of extant bike paths and trails, the development of annual events that celebrate Indigenous people and culture, and even regular community cleanup activities accompanied by DJ sets. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

But in a lawsuit filed earlier last March, Guede’s company claims progress stalled when the city’s new environmental cleanup contractor reported the previous contractor had left extensive contamination untouched. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 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

Nobody had cleaned up the bloodstains in the courtyard; the concierge mopped the place down in the early mornings but avoided washing away what remained of the crime. — Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

But Palatine Road was closed in both directions at Winston Drive for hours while crews cleaned up the mess. — Desiree Evans, CBS News, 21 Sep. 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