mop-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäp-ˌəp 

often attributive

: a concluding action or phase

mop up

2 of 2

verb

mopped up; mopping up; mops up

transitive verb

1

British : to consume eagerly

2

: to gather as if by absorbing

also : garner

mopped up all the awards

3

: to overcome decisively : trounce

4

: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive

intransitive verb

: to complete a project, transaction, or task

Synonyms

Noun

• ending
• conclusion
• end
• finale
• finish
• closing
• culmination

Examples of mop-up in a Sentence

Noun

the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In typical fashion, Trump’s team spent the weekend on mop-up, issuing clarifications and corrections. —Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025

At the plate, the Tigers have averaged just 2.5 runs a game over their 10-game cratering; in the rotation … well, Chris Paddack has mop-up duty in the bullpen and Charlie Morton is unemployed. —Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2025

Verb

Firefighters are mopping up Monday after an early morning fire engulfed a railcar on Roseville Road in North Sacramento before spreading to a towing yard and knocking out power to nearby customers. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025

The decision has backfired: Gregory Soto and Ryan Helsley, who mopped up on Friday, have combined for a 7.03 ERA. —Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for mop-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup