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

mopped up their rivals

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

I'm almost done with the project. I just need a little time to mop up.

Synonyms of mop-up

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

Two days later, Jacob was called into a 6-2 game in the eighth inning for what was seemingly mop-up duty. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

The five courses are available online for free and are prerequisites to obtaining a Firefighter Type II certificate, which is given to entry-level wildland firefighters who are responsible for fire suppression, fuels management and mop-up operations. —Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026

Verb

Don't skip the crusty bread for mopping up every last bit. —Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2026

Get this deal before it gets mopped up. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026

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