clean out
phrasal verb
cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out
1
: to remove unwanted things from (a room, closet, etc.)
We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.
2
informal
: to steal or take everything from (someone or something)
The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.
3
informal
: to use up all or most of the money of (someone)
Buying the house really cleaned us out. Now we're broke.
Examples of clean out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On June 9, Kennedy unilaterally cleaned out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP).
—
ArsTechnica, 24 June 2025
For a robotaxi service, the driver is gone — so someone else needs to be hired to clean out cars.
—Nicole Kobie, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Devers gathered his possessions and deplaned, returning to Fenway Park to clean out his locker, according to the report.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
In the episode, Strong's character, Shawn Hunter, ignores calls from his half-brother Jack (Matthew Lawrence), who is asking him for help to clean out their late father Chet's (Blake Clark) trailer.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean out
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ArsTechnica, 24 June 2025
For a robotaxi service, the driver is gone — so someone else needs to be hired to clean out cars.
—Nicole Kobie, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Devers gathered his possessions and deplaned, returning to Fenway Park to clean out his locker, according to the report.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
In the episode, Strong's character, Shawn Hunter, ignores calls from his half-brother Jack (Matthew Lawrence), who is asking him for help to clean out their late father Chet's (Blake Clark) trailer.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean out
Cite this Entry
“Clean out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20out. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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