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
Relevance
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clean (up)
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Fetch Foster Rescue stepped in to take in pets from families who had nowhere to house them, focusing first on keeping the animals as relaxed and comfortable as possible while cleanup continued.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Either way, getting to the uranium will require heavy earth-moving equipment, says Cheryl Rofer, a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory chemist, who participated in nuclear material cleanups in Estonia and Kazakhstan.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Volunteers have been working since the storm to reunite pets with their people — and to keep the animals as calm as possible while the storm cleanup continues.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
Fetch Foster Rescue has taken in animals from households whose homes were completely destroyed, and the organization’s immediate focus is keeping those frightened pets as relaxed as possible while storm cleanup continues across the community.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Fetch Foster Rescue stepped in to take in pets from families who had nowhere to house them, focusing first on keeping the animals as relaxed and comfortable as possible while cleanup continued.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Either way, getting to the uranium will require heavy earth-moving equipment, says Cheryl Rofer, a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory chemist, who participated in nuclear material cleanups in Estonia and Kazakhstan.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Volunteers have been working since the storm to reunite pets with their people — and to keep the animals as calm as possible while the storm cleanup continues.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
-
Schomburg’s dedication to collecting represents an enduring tradition of resistance to the forces that censor, sanitize, and constrain stories about the past.—
Laura E. Helton,
Literary Hub,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The suspension was rescinded after massive public backlash, with politicians from both sides of the aisle calling it a government attempt to censor free speech.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Images by Lisa Kristine were made possible by the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation in Partnership with Human Thread Foundation to eradicate slavery and human trafficking.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Treating the underlying condition eradicates the need for drug treatments that act globally.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Inspired by the espionage novel by Dan Fesperman, Safe Houses is set in the aftermath of the killing of a high-ranking CIA officer in Madrid.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
-
D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday, April 20.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In its major settlements with universities, the Administration has shortened the investigation stage and pushed for broad, often unrelated remedies.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This approach can dramatically shorten waiting times and, in many cases, save patients who may not survive the wait for a deceased donor organ.—
Dr. Hiroshi Sogawa,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This year was supposed to erase the memory of recent suffering or at least make up for it.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Rockets responded with runs in each half, outscoring the Lakers in the middle eight minutes and cutting it to 54-51 by halftime after erasing a 15-point deficit.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In February, O’Neil told the Financial Times that LIV was five to ten years away from turning a profit.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Royals plan to build an entertainment district around the stadium to generate steady profits, though the depths of those plans are not yet clear.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Abdul El-Sayed is gaining momentum in a divisive three-way Democratic primary with an uncompromising argument for clarity on progressive priorities — Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, and ending US military aid to Israel.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Mejía, who is more progressive than Sherrill, campaigned on policies including abolishing ICE and raising taxes on the wealthy.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
