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 Like other regular cleaning tasks, cleaning rugs should happen regularly. — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2026 Go room by room, cleaning with soap and water first and then disinfecting, as the American Cleaning Institute advises. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2026 App control adds another layer of convenience The K70 also incorporates wireless connectivity, allowing cleaning options to be managed through a companion app. — New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026 Sara Beth Prendeville spent her childhood in the Roswell jewelry store her father founded more than five decades ago, cleaning display cases and wrapping gifts. — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026 Grose said Lurie won immediate support and high marks among both moderates and progressives by cleaning streets and moving people indoors while also working on longer-term problem-solving. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 Some companies are already working toward this, such as home cleaning firm Shift that is recording the point-of-view of human workers to train house-cleaning robots. — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Additional work will include cleaning and painting bridge joints, removing existing pavement markings, replacing signs and adjusting bridge gates and traffic signals. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026 Tackle small messes right away to prevent buildup and make deep-cleaning days easier. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 31 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning

Verb

Sturdier produce such as potatoes, cucumbers and melons can stand up to more friction, and the Food and Drug Administration recommends scrubbing it with a clean produce brush.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
One side has soft bristles for general cleaning, while the other side has a soft file for scrubbing the food bed.

— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of scrubbing

Verb

This may mean removing an abusive parent as their guardian and establishing another relative or foster parent in place of the parent.

— Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Before the building is sold or used for secular purposes, church officials take great care when removing the religious items inside, said Jacob Preciado, director of asset management for the archdiocese.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of removing

Verb

As a start, Mena recommends waiting at least 48 hours before washing your hair, incorporating a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo on wash days, and always rinsing with cool to lukewarm water.

— Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026
Apply the mask, then leave it on for five minutes before rinsing off.

— Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of rinsing

Verb

Adam has always coped with the world by drawing—his artwork on yellow legal pads and sticky notes illustrates the novel—but now there’s a new girl in school who’s praised for her artwork, and Adam feels his identity as an artist slipping away.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Pan Yunzhe founded Wuji in 2019, eventually moving much of the team to Shenzhen and drawing backers such as Ant Group, HSG and Future Capital, according to PitchBook.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of drawing

Verb

Potential applications include recharging visiting rovers, transmitting scientific data to Earth and powering equipment used for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), which involves extracting and processing local lunar materials.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Others are capable of evaluating trigonometric functions, extracting roots and calculating logarithms.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of extracting

Verb

There’s no need to rinse the bird, and washing raw poultry can spread bacteria around your kitchen.

— Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
In certain communities, funeral practices included washing the body and sprinkling water on mourners, which risked exposing people to infected bodily fluids.

— Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of washing

Verb

The verdict came just three days after regulators seized Ueno Bank, cutting nearly 3 million customers off from their savings and bank cards and setting off a political crisis.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
The little lumberjack walked to the far end of the forest and started cutting.

— Jeremy Macliver, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026