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
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3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
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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)
Coral Murphy Marcos, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Eye On America More 15 years after BP oil spill, Louisiana coast marine recovery still ongoing
Nuclear waste has haunted St. Louis for decades, but cleanup isn't over
Their local creek carried nuclear waste.
—Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
What began as a weather warning turned into the worst hail storm one family ever experienced — and the cleanup is far from over.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Public health historians credit the cleanup of the milk supply as one of the major drivers of the dramatic decrease in child mortality over the course of the 20th century.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
In 2024, three coastal cleanup weekends welcomed 24 participants to Traena.
—Coral Murphy Marcos, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Eye On America More 15 years after BP oil spill, Louisiana coast marine recovery still ongoing
Nuclear waste has haunted St. Louis for decades, but cleanup isn't over
Their local creek carried nuclear waste.
—Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025
What began as a weather warning turned into the worst hail storm one family ever experienced — and the cleanup is far from over.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Public health historians credit the cleanup of the milk supply as one of the major drivers of the dramatic decrease in child mortality over the course of the 20th century.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Cutting funds relevant to these groups or censoring materials reflecting their experiences deepens their marginalization and chills dissent.—
Laura Backstrom,
Scientific American,
8 May 2025
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These friendships were broken up by violence, censored in films or simply abandoned by women themselves in the face of the dominant patriarchal norms.—
Laura Mills,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2025
Verb
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Guy Gooder, a graphic designer and the district’s community service project chair, said Edwards did not stick to the topic he was given and insulted the Rotarians by attacking federal agencies the organization works closely with to eradicate polio.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2025
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The interview comes the same day the billionaire philanthropist announced plans to spend almost all of his money over the next 20 years in an effort to have maximum impact on global health issues like finding cures for diseases such as HIV and eradicating polio.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Femicide is the killing of women and girls because of their gender, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Investigators had connected him to a white vehicle seen near the killings, DNA recovered from a tan leather knife sheath found near Mogen’s body and his cell phone location data near the home, according to court documents.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Together, the two companies shorten supply lines, increase transparency, and provide domestic manufacturers with reliable, high-quality inputs.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Each step up the information ladder, from two to three to four states, shortened the lifespan of the quantum memory.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The reported probe adds to a string of recent setbacks for the healthcare conglomerate that has erased more than half, or over $300 billion, from its market value since November, when shares were trading at record highs.—
Sneha S.K,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Even so, the change in staffing of the longstanding skycap service erases yet another defining feature that has differentiated Southwest from its rivals, says airline industry expert Henry Harteveldt.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
Noun
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The plaintiffs still need to prove that the search giant’s actions were responsible for the decline in their profits — a hurdle that Kersting, the law professor, said could be difficult to clear.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
13 May 2025
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Look at Brazil: Its GDP is hefty, yet infrastructure lags while digital profits slip offshore untaxed.—
Jules Herd,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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This interview has been edited and (barely!) condensed.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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This interview has been edited for clarity and length. IndieWire: Was there anything left on your bucket list for the show, going into this last season?—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2025
Verb
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More news to know now The acting FEMA administrator was replaced after contradicting Trump on abolishing the agency.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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In February 1987, Sir Joseph Cantley found the club and county council, by then abolished, two-thirds and one-third responsible.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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