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
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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)
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2025
After the storm, follow local guidance, wear protective gear during cleanup, and avoid contact with wet electrical equipment or contaminated water.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Those funds helped pay for the mine’s cleanup effort and new capital costs, in return for an 8.4% stake in the company, which Shenghe still holds.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The Monopoly board is just part of Saturday’s cleanup effort, organized by the office of Mr. Cleanup himself, Mayor Matt Mahan, along with Beautify SJ, the Trash Punx and the city’s parks department.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
But under both DeSantis and his predecessor Rick Scott, funding for water projects and other cleanup activities has lagged — as the state’s key environmental enforcement agencies, including the DEP and five water-management districts, saw their power seep away.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2025
After the storm, follow local guidance, wear protective gear during cleanup, and avoid contact with wet electrical equipment or contaminated water.
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Those funds helped pay for the mine’s cleanup effort and new capital costs, in return for an 8.4% stake in the company, which Shenghe still holds.
—John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
The Monopoly board is just part of Saturday’s cleanup effort, organized by the office of Mr. Cleanup himself, Mayor Matt Mahan, along with Beautify SJ, the Trash Punx and the city’s parks department.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Roblox has drawn criticism for its failure to censor user content on its platform.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Aug. 2025
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Because reviews drag on endlessly, challenges can effectively censor a book, keeping it off shelves for months.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.—
Peter Aitken
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 2025
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Its nuclear infrastructure is wrecked but by no means wholly eradicated.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The rising number of extrajudicial killings carried out by Haitian police is once more coming under scrutiny, this time by the U.S. State Department.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Aug. 2025
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Police urge anyone with information about any of the killings to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Trump praised Bisignano’s efforts to improve Social Security services by asserting that the agency has shortened call wait times, reduced the disability claims backlog and promoted seniors’ online account access.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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As many people well know, using screens at night delays bedtime, shortens sleep duration, and worsens sleep quality; phones can disrupt rest just by being in the same room, Lauren Hale, a professor studying sleep at Stony Brook Medicine, told me.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This practice of reframing doesn’t erase the problem, sure.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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The move to erase the sometimes ugly truth about this country’s history?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Steel Dynamics has shown a profit in 26 of the past 29 years.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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When profits are growing, credit markets are calm and the next Fed move is a cut, stocks tend to have little trouble holding their valuations.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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,
22 Aug. 2025
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This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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New York state, where Gendron pleaded guilty to 15 state charges, including multiple counts of murder, abolished capital punishment in 2004.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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Even after slavery was abolished, some families who sought to find their kin never did.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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