cleanlier; cleanliest
1
: careful to keep clean : fastidious
2
: habitually kept clean
Examples of cleanly in a Sentence
Adverb
A sharp knife will cut through the skin of a tomato cleanly.
This fuel burns more cleanly than other fuels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor got credit for singles when Antone and his infielders failed to play their bunts cleanly, with Sheets scoring the tiebreaking run on what appeared to be a safety squeeze attempt by Taylor.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Whoever wins cleanly leaves with both the championship belts.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
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Adverb
But the Petersons’ house tucks in cleanly to a new subdivision without an accessory dwelling unit or any sign that six adults spanning six decades live inside.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor got credit for singles when Antone and his infielders failed to play their bunts cleanly, with Sheets scoring the tiebreaking run on what appeared to be a safety squeeze attempt by Taylor.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Adjective
In other words, historical comparables suggest that Sherwood’s trade value probably isn’t cleanly at the level of him returning a first-round pick to Vancouver if he’s ultimately traded between now and March 6.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Whoever wins cleanly leaves with both the championship belts.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanly. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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