CLEANING Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

cleaning

verb

present participle of clean

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

as in removing

to take the internal organs out of cleaned the rabbit before cooking it

Synonyms & Similar 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 cleaning Best Last-Chance Amazon Home Labor Day Sales Give your home a refresh with last-minute deals on fresh cozy bedding, cleaning gadgets, and décor. — Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026 Dip your microfiber cloth into the mixture and apply it to the zellige tiles, cleaning in gentle circles. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026 Abby was cleaning the upstairs guest room when she was struck as many as 19 times with a hatchet. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 Others were quiet about the fact that their fathers worked in factories and their mothers as cleaning women. — Gloria Steinem, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026 Blood Similar to cleaning urine stains, if the blood on your mattress is fresh, then start the process by soaking up excess liquid with a paper towel before cleaning the area. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026 Summary An 11-year-old Ontario entrepreneur, Ashton Meyer, transformed his $10 bin cleaning side hustle into a viral success, gaining over 110,000 Instagram followers. — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 When cleaning your microwave, don’t forget to remove the glass turntable and clean it thoroughly as well. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026 Sanitation workers were cleaning the area, cutting down trees, and erecting a new fence and lock to keep out trespassers. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning

Verb

Soak pans before cleaning them, and turn off the faucet when scrubbing.

— Simmone Shah, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Wipe the solution off with water and a microfiber cloth, scrubbing at the grimy parts.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrubbing

Verb

Water filtration is an easy option for backpackers but is less effective at removing viruses.

— Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
The real frontier is removing the human latency between seeing a problem and solving it, and that’s exactly what agentic AI can help make possible.

— Devendra Rajput, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of removing

Verb

Now, to the handwashing shortcomings, such as a cashier handling customer’s payment, then preparing drinks and serving plates of food to customers without washing hands (cash and payment cards tend to be germ motherships).

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
In a single-person household, washing your bath mat every one to two weeks is typically sufficient.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of washing

Verb

Trading firms began using low-latency (shorter delay) technology and co-locating servers inside exchange data centers, cutting trade execution times to milliseconds and making speed itself a competitive advantage.

— Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
Jet fuel costs have skyrocketed, too, leading airlines to hike airfare and baggage fees while cutting less profitable flights.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026