cleanly

1 of 2

adverb

clean·​ly ˈklēn-lē 

: in a clean manner

cleanly

2 of 2

adjective

clean·​ly ˈklen-lē 

cleanlier; cleanliest

1

: careful to keep clean : fastidious

2

: habitually kept clean

Synonyms of cleanly

Adverb

• legally

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

Adverb

Ross’ hair was cleanly slicked back, and her makeup was natural and fresh, save for a subtle smokey eye created with a black liner at the outer third of her eyes. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026

The sequence looks far different if Gill hits the punt cleanly and ASU takes over near midfield or beyond with roughly 20 seconds remaining. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 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

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cleanly

• greenly
• keenly
• meanly
• queenly
• routinely

Kids Definition

cleanly

1 of 2 adverb

clean·​ly ˈklēn-lē 

: in a clean manner

cleanly

2 of 2 adjective

clean·​ly ˈklen-lē 

cleanlier; cleanliest

1

: careful to keep clean

a cleanly animal

2

: being kept clean by habit

cleanly surroundings

cleanliness noun