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
: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team
a cleanup hitter
cleanup
adverb
cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up
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
Keith RichardsExamples of cleanup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Batting second, Jack Kaczmarski is a power hitter who can crush the ball, and cleanup hitter Christian Gernot has produced all season long.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Environmental groups decried the potential impacts, including pollution through massive trash dumps from the new stadium and the entertainment district into the Anacostia, whose water quality has improved significantly in recent years after a series of cleanup initiatives.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025
The goal is not just to clean up but to make these landscapes usable again, restoring or redesigning them in a manner appropriate to their new purpose.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanup
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Noun
While funding shortages and ongoing cleanup efforts prevent any big changes to the site, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recently deemed about 130 acres clean and safe for park use.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Batting second, Jack Kaczmarski is a power hitter who can crush the ball, and cleanup hitter Christian Gernot has produced all season long.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Fair organizers will assess damage to the West Allis fairgrounds to determine cleanup timelines and preparation for next year's event.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Environmental groups decried the potential impacts, including pollution through massive trash dumps from the new stadium and the entertainment district into the Anacostia, whose water quality has improved significantly in recent years after a series of cleanup initiatives.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
Others are emerging from the nightmare with the support of a community rallying to clean up the devastation on their own.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025
The goal is not just to clean up but to make these landscapes usable again, restoring or redesigning them in a manner appropriate to their new purpose.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanup
Cite this Entry
“Cleanup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanup. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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