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

Covering the pan in aluminum foil also helps make cleanup a breeze. — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 July 2026

The tiny handle is easy to maneuver, making short work of quick cleanups and everything showers alike. — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026

Adjective

Johnston said some of the risks could’ve been avoided if the state committed to proper safeguards, such as post-cleanup sampling, sooner. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026

Areas Still Rebuilding That said, some streets in both regions remain in cleanup mode, so visitors should proceed with caution. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025

Verb

Store firewood as far away from your home as possible and clean up any brush piles. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 July 2026

Every step in that chain is about cleaning up what happened upstream. — Mike Valli, Forbes.com, 8 July 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