clean

verb

cleaned; cleaning; cleans

transitive verb

1

a

: to make clean: such as

(1)

: to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter

clean a wound

(2)

: to rid of corruption

vowing to clean up city hall

b

: remove, eradicate

—usually used with up or off

clean up that mess

2

a

: strip, empty

a tree cleaned of fruit

b

: to remove the entrails from

clean fish

c

: to deprive of money or possessions

—often used with out

they cleaned him out completely

intransitive verb

: to undergo or perform a process of cleaning

clean up before dinner

cleanability

ˌklē-nə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

cleanable

ˈklē-nə-bəl 

adjective

see also:

clean house clean one's clock clean up one's act

Synonyms of clean

• wipe
• scrub
• rinse
• tidy
• cleanse
• wash
• brush
• turn out

Examples of clean in a Sentence

The carpet needs to be cleaned.

They divide household duties so that she cleans and her husband cooks.

They cleaned the fish and cooked them on the campfire.

skin and clean a rabbit

Recent Examples on the Web

Lally also has to clean their enclosures, and weigh and track all of the pandas’ feces in order to monitor their health. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Scheck cleans her marble counters almost daily with a gentle cleaner to prevent buildup. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

In Beijing, freelance social media content creator Yang Ning recently tried out a cleaning service with a helper robot with mechanical arms and hands. —Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 6 June 2026

The black goo biofilm can be cleaned off with minimal effort. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English clenen "to clear of weeds," derivative of clene clean entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing clean

• clean and jerk
• clean as a whistle
• clean break
• clean-cut
• clean house
• clean-limbed
• clean one's clock
• clean one's plate
• clean out
• clean room
• clean-shaven
• clean sheet
• clean slate
• clean sweep
• clean up
• clean up after
• clean up one's act
• come clean
• dry-clean
• give (someone or something) a clean bill of health
• keep one's nose clean
• make a clean break
• make a clean breast of
• pick (something) clean
• spring-clean
• squeaky-clean
• steam clean
• wipe (something) clean
• wipe the slate clean

Rhymes for clean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• jean
• keen
• lien
• mean

Kids Definition

clean

1 of 3 adjective

ˈklēn 

1

: free from dirt or pollution

clean clothes

2

: free of objectionable behavior or language

led a clean life

a clean joke

3

: being such to the fullest degree : complete

made a clean sweep

4

: being precise or distinct : trim

a ship with clean lines

a clean writing style

5

: smooth entry 1 sense 1a

a sharp knife makes a clean cut

cleanness

ˈklēn-nəs 

noun

clean

2 of 3 adverb

1

a

: so as to clean

a new broom sweeps clean

b

: in a clean manner

fight clean

2

: all the way

trout leaping clean out of the water

clean

3 of 3 verb

1

: to make or become clean

clean your room

cleaned up for supper

2

: to take or use up the contents or resources of

tourists cleaned out the shops

Medical Definition

clean

1 of 2 adjective

ˈklēn 

1

a

: free from dirt or pollution

b

: free from disease or infectious agents

a pullorum-clean flock

keep installations clean of TB infection

2

: free from smudges or anything that tends to obscure

a clean set of fingerprints

3

of a horse's leg : free from curbs or bunches below the hock

4

: free from drug addiction

clean

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to brush (the teeth) with a cleanser (as a dentifrice)

2

: to perform dental prophylaxis on (the teeth)

Legal Definition

clean

adjective

: free of amendments or annotations