clean out

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

Investigators said surveillance video captured Rodolico cleaning out the back seat of his vehicle after Jones disappeared. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

Evangelista’s son said much of her frustration also stemmed from how the fire captains treated her possessions during the clean out. — Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026

Even a small garage clean out can make a big difference in how functional the space feels. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

Some rehearse using a bedpan — placing it in the right spot, cleaning out the imaginary contents. — Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 30 June 2026

Rhymes for clean out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout