1
as in scrubbing
to remove the dirt from
we cleaned the clothes before donating them to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
to take the internal organs out of
cleaned the rabbit before cooking it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleaning
But Lally is still happy to handle the cooking and cleaning herself.
—
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
When cleaning an oven with vinegar, choose standard household white vinegar and avoid concentrated or high-strength formulas.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
Best Premium Vacuum Another one of our go-to wet-dry vacs, this one is designed with smart technology like the LED display and RGB Dirt Detection to measure dirt levels and adjust cleaning accordingly.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
Once, toward the end of WWII, when my father and grandmother were in an air raid shelter, a few Russian soldiers came in, sat in the middle of the room and started cleaning their rifles.
—Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Traditional soap and water work on a number of levels, from the physical removal and destruction of microbes on your hands to cleaning away any dirt and grime.
—Alice Park, Time, 12 June 2026
Be sure your microfiber cloths are freshly washed before cleaning windows.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
In Beijing, freelance social media content creator Yang Ning recently tried out a cleaning service with a helper robot with mechanical arms and hands.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Today, the pantry houses snacks, nonperishables, appliances, cleaning supplies, the couple’s collection of East Fork pottery, and, of course, an essential coffee station.
—Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
When cleaning an oven with vinegar, choose standard household white vinegar and avoid concentrated or high-strength formulas.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 13 June 2026
Best Premium Vacuum Another one of our go-to wet-dry vacs, this one is designed with smart technology like the LED display and RGB Dirt Detection to measure dirt levels and adjust cleaning accordingly.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
Once, toward the end of WWII, when my father and grandmother were in an air raid shelter, a few Russian soldiers came in, sat in the middle of the room and started cleaning their rifles.
—Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Traditional soap and water work on a number of levels, from the physical removal and destruction of microbes on your hands to cleaning away any dirt and grime.
—Alice Park, Time, 12 June 2026
Be sure your microfiber cloths are freshly washed before cleaning windows.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
In Beijing, freelance social media content creator Yang Ning recently tried out a cleaning service with a helper robot with mechanical arms and hands.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Today, the pantry houses snacks, nonperishables, appliances, cleaning supplies, the couple’s collection of East Fork pottery, and, of course, an essential coffee station.
—Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning
Verb
-
Depending on the material of the grates, keep them clean by soaking and scrubbing with a few household ingredients.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
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Be sure to let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to break down any buildup before scrubbing or wiping.—
Better Homes & Gardens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
By removing the liquid filling stage entirely and accelerating the subsequent chemical formation and aging protocols, the production timeline for these steps is shortened by two-thirds.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
-
Make 4- to 6-inch-long cuttings by sipping off the ends of the shoots and removing a few bottom leaves.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
Verb
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While that does work, researchers found rinsing or soaking in water had the lowest median percent reduction of about 30%.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Swimsuit companies recommend rinsing after each use, then hand-washing with mild detergent every three to five uses.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
In Game 3, Wembanyama shocked Knicks fans by pushing Jalen Brunson to the floor without drawing a foul.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
Indonesia is drawing the wrong kind of attention in emerging‑market circles.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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An amuse bouche opened the meal, a palate-cleansing sorbet marked the end of the dinner and the beginning of dessert, and a little treat, and the end felt like a festive way to linger a little longer and celebrate a special meal.—
Christine Sarkis,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Priorities should be cleansing, hydration and protection, added hairstylist Carissa Cortez.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The tool summarizes conversations across Slack channels, extracting insights from messages, documents and files.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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This device accomplishes the feat by extracting two distinct, valuable chemical products from the energy of a single photon of light.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
Verb
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While this would be a great thing under normal circumstances, the woman has broken two nice glasses and does a terrible job of washing everything — leaving food particles on the silverware and lipstick on coffee cups.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
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As people express their grief, social obligations compel them to help prepare the deceased for burial, including touching and washing the body, as is traditional in the affected countries; visit the deceased’s family; and attend funerals.—
Katherine Marshall,
STAT,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The lead stretched to 12 before Brunson and the Knicks rallied again, cutting the lead down to five halfway through the quarter.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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What else is going on AI is cutting hours of office work for workers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaning. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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