1
as in spotless
free from dirt or stain
although the soccer team always starts out with clean uniforms, they don't stay that way for long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in legal
following or according to the rules
a clean check from the other hockey player
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3
as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent
only clean songs will be permitted for the performances on the last night of summer camp
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thorough
trying all possibilities
police made a clean sweep of the area before the governor's arrival
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5
as in simple
having no exceptions or restrictions
the clean joy of running that young children experience
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6
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present
the ship returned with a clean hold
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1
as in to wipe
to remove the dirt from
we cleaned the clothes before donating them to charity
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2
as in to remove
to take the internal organs out of
cleaned the rabbit before cooking it
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in legally
according to the rules or the law
a boxer who doesn't fight clean
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2
as in completely
to a full extent or degree
the thief got clean away
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean
Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Do a deep clean every three to six months.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Get rid of clogs in drains, and make sure to clean the garbage disposal and not let food debris sit in it.
—Emma Ashe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Gannon Burgett, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023
These services sell carbon credits offered by NGOs and governments that, using offset proceeds, plant mangroves, distribute clean-burning stoves, preserve grasslands, and install digesters to capture cooking gas from manure among other types of projects.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for clean
Adjective
Compared to the smooth-sailing, clean, quiet mass transit trains in many other cities, the Blue Line falls short.
—Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Do a deep clean every three to six months.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
While many small space hotel of the micro or pod variety feel super stripped down and totally unwelcoming—swapping out any fun or soft goods for modular, easy to clean furniture—this hotel takes a different tack.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Get rid of clogs in drains, and make sure to clean the garbage disposal and not let food debris sit in it.
—Emma Ashe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Natural Gas: Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel source that is generally less expensive than other fuels.
—Gannon Burgett, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023
These services sell carbon credits offered by NGOs and governments that, using offset proceeds, plant mangroves, distribute clean-burning stoves, preserve grasslands, and install digesters to capture cooking gas from manure among other types of projects.
—Time, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for clean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean
Adjective
-
The toilets are scrubbed, the dishes are washed and the floors are spotless.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Similar to wood floors, wood cabinets require special maintenance to keep them clean and spotless, without actually damaging the wood.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
On Friday, Anthropic announced new legal, finance and product marketing capabilities for its Claude Cowork productivity tool, and released the plugins under an open-source license, enabling customization.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The judges said the plaintiffs should have mounted their legal challenge within four years from the time the statistical methods were used.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Adam Lambert Standing on the smaller, rotating stage in the middle of the room, Lambert showcased how even with his irrepressible flair, his pure voice is the star.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Cocktail making at White Bar is almost a choreographed dance and a simple orange daiquiri feels like drinking a glass of pure bright sunshine.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Breece said her office takes on complex cases, and the investigations are intended to be thorough, not quick.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Courts have confirmed that Puerto Rico’s medical licensing system is just as thorough and comprehensive as the USMLE.—
José Sosa-Palacios,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The 18-year-old was also charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor and summary charges of harassment and disorderly conduct.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
With similar pressures and temperatures to those found at Earth’s surface, Venus, up above its cloud-tops, might already be home to simple but hardy microbial life forms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
That devoid ingredient hindered things exponentially.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2024
Verb
-
Once you're done, use a damp cloth to wipe the oven again and remove the soap.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Choose your opponent—then wipe it out with this dual-phase formula.—
Sarah Kinonen,
Allure,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But videos of the incident do not show Pretti brandishing a gun, and one video appears to show an officer removing a gun from Pretti's waistband just moments before another agent fired the first shot.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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