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

Crews remained on scene Monday for mop-up operations. —Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

Veteran big man Charles Bassey, who is nearing the end of his second 10-day contract with the Celtics, went 3-for-3 in mop-up duty. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026

Verb

All trails south and west of DC-5 (the service road through the middle of the park) remain closed while fire crews are mopping up the Bear Creek Fire. —Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

None of this mopped up the air. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 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