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\ ˈmäp 
\
\Definition of mop
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : an implement made of absorbent material fastened to a handle and used especially for cleaning floors
2 : something that resembles a mop especially : a thick mass of hair
mop
verbmopped; mopping
Definition of mop (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to use a mop on specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping mop the floors —often used with up mop up the spillage
2 : to wipe as if with a mop
mopped his brow with a handkerchief
: to clean a surface (such as a floor) with a mop
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Examples of mop in a Sentence
Verb
He mopped the sweat from his brow.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Banks stayed in the picture on special teams and in mop-up work.
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Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Why Ohio State football’s Sevyn Banks may soon be No. 1 in the Buckeyes’ cornerback room," 21 Nov. 2019 These days only Brexit enthusiasts quiver when his blond mop heaves into view.
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The Economist, "The loneliness of Boris Johnson," 25 July 2019 With his unruly mop of white-blond hair and bumbling personality, Boris Johnson is not exactly a forgettable figure.
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Stephanie Busari, CNN, "'Watermelon smiles' and 'piccaninnies': Boris Johnson on Africans," 23 July 2019 Dustin has been wearing the same hat since the very first season of the Netflix show, a blue, white, and red baseball cap that covers his curly mop.
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Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Someone Found The Answer To Dustin's Biggest Mystery In Season 3 Of Stranger Things," 5 July 2019 Redshirt freshman Quadry Jones entered the game late in the fourth in a mop-up role.
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Matt Murschel, orlandosentinel.com, "Dillon Gabriel leads No. 17 UCF to win over Stanford," 14 Sep. 2019 Or how about the Swiffer mop, or the Impossible burger?
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Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Swiffer. Blackberry. PowerBook. Meet the Bay Area man who named your favorite products," 7 Sep. 2019 Famed for a smartly jet-black hairstyle and sharp suits, Mugabe instead can be seen in a tracksuit, with an unruly mop of white hair.
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Fox News, "Concerns over Robert Mugabe's health grow, ex-Zimbabwe strongman in Singapore hospital for 4 months," 6 Aug. 2019 The blaze, known as the Cold Creek Fire, is now 80 percent contained and crews are in mop-up mode, said Captain Ron Fryer of Benton County Fire Protection District 1.
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Seattle Times Staff, The Seattle Times, "People caused the wildfire that’s burned more 40,000 acres near Hanford nuclear site; investigation continues," 22 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Take your e-moped to Le Marais and walk the Riverbank of Saint Germaine as model and influencer Flora Coquerel suggested.
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Cieja Springer, Essence, "The Best Way To See Black Paris is on a Moped, This is How You Do It For Cheap," 17 Oct. 2019 Men like Quraishi staffed the microwave ovens and mopped the floors.
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Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "Why these workers from India miss wartime Afghanistan," 21 Aug. 2019 With the party trailing in the polls and at war with itself once again, MPs and activists moped from stall to stall.
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The Economist, "Britain’s Labour Party heads further left," 26 Sep. 2019 FFs will continue mop-up and patrol; efforts are hampered by dense vegetation in the interior and steep slope.
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Tatiana Sanchez, SFChronicle.com, "Reservoir Fire near Milpitas burns 128 acres, is 70% contained," 22 Sep. 2019 FFs will continue mop-up and patrol; efforts are hampered by dense vegetation in the interior and steep slope.
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Thomas Peele, The Mercury News, "Milpitas: Fires in hills near Calaveras Reservoir 70 percent contained," 21 Sep. 2019 Moderate-intensity activity can include mowing the lawn, playing tennis, enjoying a leisurely bike ride, engaging in a brisk walk, or doing heavy housework like vacuuming, mopping or washing windows.
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Dennis Thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Americans are sitting more than ever, increasing the risk for at least 10 major health issues," 30 July 2019 But Saturday afternoon, some of that peacefulness vanished when cyclists and moped riders got into a fight in the middle of a Cheesman Park street.
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Ivan Rodriguez, The Denver Post, "Fight in Cheesman Park between cyclists and scooter riders caught on video," 15 Sep. 2019 The blitz coincided with efforts to mop and buff floors more frequently.
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Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "Homeless people were pushed from BART stations. Now they’re riding the trains," 5 Sep. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for mop
mop
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of mop
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a tool for cleaning floors that has a bundle of cloth or yarn or a sponge attached to a long handle
: a large amount of tangled or untidy hair on a person's head
mop
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of mop (Entry 2 of 2)
: to clean (a floor) with a mop
: to wipe (something that is wet)
: to wipe (a liquid) from something
See the full definition for mop in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mop
noun\ ˈmäp \
\Kids Definition of mop
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a tool for cleaning floors made of a bundle of cloth or yarn or a sponge fastened to a long handle
2 : something that looks like a cloth or yarn mop
a mop of hair
mop
verbmopped; mopping
Kids Definition of mop (Entry 2 of 2)
: to wipe or clean with or as if with a mop
He mopped the sweat from his forehead with a rag.
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Time Traveler for mop
The first known use of mop was in the 15th century
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