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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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
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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
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Then, after the meal, my shoes came back—sparkling clean.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Dampen contaminated areas before cleaning.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 June 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for clean
Adjective
Simply add it to the base of the bowl and enjoy clean water that only needs refills without the scrubbing.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Then, after the meal, my shoes came back—sparkling clean.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
Verb
Restricted airflow may cause the fan to overheat if it isn’t cleaned regularly.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Dampen contaminated areas before cleaning.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Adverb
Up to this point, Eloise has been a staunch proponent of Penelope coming clean to Colin and quitting the Lady Whistledown operation for good.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 June 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for clean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean
Adjective
-
The club, with nearly 1,500 local members and a waitlist, features Technogym equipment, spotless changing rooms, 5 studios offering more than 100 weekly group classes, a rock climbing wall (including several auto-belay routes), and a juice bar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
-
Any unwanted fact or unpleasant experience is swiftly erased by the sheep’s wilfully short memories — only veteran merino Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) is unable to share in this collective spotless mind, carrying the knowledge that his cohorts have blithely shed.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The state Supreme Court let the referendum proceed but has yet to rule whether the effort is legal.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Staff and managers complained about the lack of specifics, as did legal-services providers and advocacy groups.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
To restore wage mobility and top-line household revenue, organizations need to unfreeze hiring and transition their AI strategies from pure human substitution to human augmentation.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Consider any positivity that comes from the Oklahoma City series as pure gravy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The bureau recommends logistics companies take thorough security measures like independently verifying shipment requests and pickups using secondary methods prior to releasing any loads, as well as implementing multi-channel verification for identities.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
-
Detectives with the police department investigated the fraud through a thorough review of the chamber’s financial records.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
These are products have a short, simple ingredient lists that are easy to understand for regular consumers and are free from additives.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
-
Sometimes this involved simple in-person observations.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
On Thursday afternoon, at least two of the parishes marked for closure stood silent and seemingly devoid of activity.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
To be fair, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby field isn’t entirely devoid of notable nomenclature.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For some homeowners, their return signals an all-out battle, with sprays, tools and weekend hours spent trying to wipe them from the lawn for good.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
Rinse with warm water, then wipe dry.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
On the Met steps, Osaka opened her dress and removed her headpiece for a grand reveal underneath.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
While the salt helps with debris and odor, soap and warm water help to remove more residue and bacteria.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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