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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
The crash cleanup and investigation shut down the stretch of road for hours on Tuesday night.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
For larger areas or quicker cleanup, a leaf blower can be a helpful alternative to raking.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Off the field, players in Zissi’s program perform 80 hours of community service every year, beach cleanups, volunteering at the San Diego Food Bank, and partnering with Friends of Jaclyn, which pairs children with pediatric cancer with a sports team.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
Many of these nonprofit partners—such as the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, Friends of Joshua Tree, and Glacier National Park Conservancy—play a vital role during shutdowns, stepping in to fund restrooms, plow roads, and support volunteer cleanup crews.
—AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
The crash cleanup and investigation shut down the stretch of road for hours on Tuesday night.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
For larger areas or quicker cleanup, a leaf blower can be a helpful alternative to raking.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Off the field, players in Zissi’s program perform 80 hours of community service every year, beach cleanups, volunteering at the San Diego Food Bank, and partnering with Friends of Jaclyn, which pairs children with pediatric cancer with a sports team.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Years later, a right-wing party was elected and tried to censor the news and shut the network down.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
-
This is far from the first time the show's cohosts have been censored on the air for using profanity during the broadcasts.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to Jaworowski, the technology just doesn’t exist yet to eradicate the need for power generation that can supply energy 24 hours a day.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
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But those remakes are about hive-mind monsters infecting and possessing humans, who valiantly resist but fail to eradicate the threat.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The former Fox News personality blasted Curtis for clarifying a set of comments regarding the conservative activist's killing on Wednesday's episode of The Megyn Kelly Show.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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That old story survived the reevaluation of war that took place during the Enlightenment; the transformation of the modern battlefield by mass mobilization and factory-scale killing in the twentieth century; and now, the separation between killer and target facilitated by technology.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The outlet added that cool nights, sunny days and moderate rainfall are the makings of a nice fall foliage season, while heavy rain, strong winds, or early frost can shorten the season.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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Telomeres naturally shorten as people age, but Scott’s exceeded the typical rate.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Such grotesque accounts are part of alternate histories that hegemonic discourse attempted to erase.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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Nations weave myths out of victories and erase defeats with the promise of future triumphs.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Swain quickly turned directs into Triago’s profit driver.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Start with these profit boosts before checking out all the other ways to bet on the NBA, NHL, college football, World Series and NFL.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The group has backed leading AI model developers such as OpenAI, as well as application-level startups like OpusClip, a generative-AI video-editing platform, and Tempus AI, which applies machine learning to precision medicine.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Now abolish property taxes for us that live here.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Additionally, individual states can’t decide to abolish the practice without Congressional approval.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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