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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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
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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)
Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 May 2025
Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2025
Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill This propane grill is equipped to handle all your barbecues with cast iron cooking grates, a removable grease tray for easy cleanup, side table, and side burner to cook side dishes simultaneously.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 24 May 2025
When the party is over, just throw this iced tea pitcher in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied North Carolina's request for the agency to match 100% of the state funds for Helene cleanup, according to a letter sent from the acting FEMA administrator to the governor of North Carolina.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 May 2025
Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2025
Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill This propane grill is equipped to handle all your barbecues with cast iron cooking grates, a removable grease tray for easy cleanup, side table, and side burner to cook side dishes simultaneously.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 24 May 2025
When the party is over, just throw this iced tea pitcher in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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When Late Night is forced to censor an interview, Deborah and Ava get inadvertently embroiled in controversy.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
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Even printing those three words is a good way to start a fight—people will disagree about which, if any of them, should be censored.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Volunteer in a California state park or join the local chapter of California Native Plant Society project to eradicate invasive plants and preserve native habitats.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2025
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Surgeons removed her thyroid gland but did not fully eradicate the cancer, which had spread to her vocal cords, the paper said.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Noun
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An informant previously told Milwaukee authorities that Anderson had allegedly shown him the murder location and tools about a month before the killing, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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Cathey said the teen may have believed officers were after him in connection with the homicide, but the sheriff said police didn’t know about the killing at the time.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Among them, Florida is the only team to do so after playing a full 82-game regular season in all three years, as Tampa Bay’s first two seasons were shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Kaitlyn Pohly,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2025
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Only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Nail polish remover: Use a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton ball to erase scuffs.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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Awake used an isolated case to discriminate, marginalize, intimidate and erase transgender people and to call for defunding public schools.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Does the employer pay for the worker’s time, regardless of the outcome, thereby protecting the worker from losses or limiting the right to a profit?—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The upward trend in brand support was so steep for a period of time that some sponsors were accused of exploiting LGBTQ issues for the purpose of turning a profit.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The broadcast version of this story was edited by Arezou Rezvani and produced by Taylor Haney.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
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This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The initiative has its critics, who fear that abolishing property taxes would leave local governments without sufficient funds to support crucial public services.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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The latter is known for his misogynistic statements, and has promised to follow through on Mr. Yoon’s commitment to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family.—
Yejin Gim,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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