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

Coyote Fire mostly contained in El Dorado County East of Sacramento, the Coyote Fire was 90% contained Thursday morning after burning 624 acres as mop-up work and hot spot checks continue inside the fire perimeter, Cal Fire’s Amador-El Dorado uni said. —Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Wilson never saw action as starter Bo Nix played every meaningful snap and backup Jarrett Stidham handled the limited mop-up duty. —Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

Crews patrol and mop up direct fire lines while constructing additional primary and secondary containment. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The agency noted that fire crews had worked overnight to strengthen control lines, mop up hot spots, and protect nearby structures. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 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