1
as in to tidy (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Bo Evans, CBS News, 1 May 2026
And a few small tweaks can shave real minutes off the dinner-to-cleanup grind without anyone touching a hammer.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Staff and volunteers began cleanup efforts immediately following the storm to ensure animal safety and prepare the grounds for reopening.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There were the stories of coastal cleanups, the advocacy of Everglades preservationists, and the young student who planted thousands of tiny mangroves to help restore miles of our shoreline.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The museum, often described as a hidden gem in Fort Worth, is now facing a costly cleanup.
—Bo Evans, CBS News, 1 May 2026
And a few small tweaks can shave real minutes off the dinner-to-cleanup grind without anyone touching a hammer.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Staff and volunteers began cleanup efforts immediately following the storm to ensure animal safety and prepare the grounds for reopening.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There were the stories of coastal cleanups, the advocacy of Everglades preservationists, and the young student who planted thousands of tiny mangroves to help restore miles of our shoreline.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Iran has its own social media platforms modeled on services like WhatsApp and YouTube, but content is closely monitored and often censored.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The report drew on interviews and surveys asking whether respondents felt censored or had experienced discrimination in Davis.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Long-term Management Strategies The best way to completely eradicate ground ivy from your lawn and garden is through constant monitoring and removal methods.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
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An invasive worm species is causing problems in the state, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture is asking residents to help eradicate it.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The slain man’s parents own and live in a building about a mile-and-a-half away from where the killing happened.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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Police said at the time of the killing that the people who stole the Acura mistakenly assumed it was abandoned and drove it to the encampment.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The goal is not to avoid the valley but to shorten the stay.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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While shortening attention spans may be to blame for the shift in literature, Huehls argues that some writers are intentionally engaging with it.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just his ability to erase mistakes is extremely impressive where guys drive in the paint and see him and turn around and dribble out.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
Satellite imagery reveals that in the weeks following the attack on the Abu Naser family building, more Israeli bombing nearly erased the rest of the neighborhood.—
Anas Baba,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages, disgorgement of profits attributable to the use of Kilcher’s likeness, injunctive relief, and corrective public disclosure.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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Analyst Lorraine Hutchinson believes Ulta is more attractive after a pullback, especially as the retailer could be poised profit from some recent investments.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
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They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dreaded by some, dodged by others, and abolished by at least one executive entirely, quarterly earnings calls remain must-listen rituals for Wall Street and the business press, but not for most consumers or even rank‑and‑file employees.—
Rachel Ventresca,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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Its refusal to abolish slavery placed it in a small club of holdouts, with Cuba and Brazil.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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