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 Leave the cleaning solution to soak on the rubber gasket for about 5 to 10 minutes. — Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2026 In all, roughly 1,200 workers are still grinding away, some with power tools, others with 10-foot-long feather dusters, cleaning the rafters beneath the canopy. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 53, was driving the cleaning company’s van when the Boeing 767 ran off the runway and struck his vehicle. — Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 While cleaning every day is the last thing anyone wants to do, there are a few simple practices minimalists do every night before bed to maintain an organized home. — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026 Sullivan began her chores, which included cleaning the home’s windows. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 Kia does not specifically recommend nitrogen tire inflation, transmission flushing, or fuel induction cleaning as part of the normal maintenance schedule. — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 Everyone, meanwhile, can enjoy the simple, perfect sight gag of a voluptuous sheep cleaning a blackboard with her ample fleece. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Rubber or silicone gloves for protection while cleaning or doing the dishes. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning

Verb

Focus on crevices and edges where grease and debris tend to accumulate, but avoid scrubbing too harshly.

— Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026
Take care of spills immediately and do those quick weekly checks, so your quarterly clean becomes much more about refreshing and reorganizing versus a full day of scrubbing away months of buildup.

— Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrubbing

Verb

That equates to removing the electricity demand of roughly 50,000 window air conditioners from the grid or powering approximately 34,000 households for four hours each day during peak demand.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Before applying the mulch, Singh advises removing any handles, tape, staples, or labels from the paper bags.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of removing

Verb

Take an extra beat (and a bit of water) to emulsify the formula before rinsing it off for a thorough cleanse.

— Sarah Han, Allure, 24 Sep. 2026
Prepare the sprouts for storage by rinsing and draining the sprouts thoroughly, then laying them out on a dish towel to dry for an hour or so.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of rinsing

Verb

Skytrax collects data from airline passengers via surveys over the course of 12 months, drawing from over 100 different passenger nationalities.

— Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026
Earlier this year, in February, Kaplan sold Rembrandt’s drawing Young Lion Resting for $18 million at auction at Sotheby’s, the proceeds of which supported global wild cat conservation organization Panthera.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of drawing

Verb

Henry says that cleansing too aggressively can contribute to barrier disruption as well.

— Lindy Segal, Glamour, 22 Sep. 2026
Kansas’ Union soldiers, who were known as Jayhawkers, responded by cleansing three Missouri counties along the border and stacking a similar number of dead bodies in retaliation.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of cleansing

Verb

IvyCraft interprets document layouts, page structures, and images instead of extracting text alone.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026
The exotic premise is developed with relentless seriousness, even severity, extracting deep pathos from the characters’ eerie reckonings.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of extracting

Verb

Additionally, the project’s closed-loop water system prevents nutrients from washing into nearby rivers, where runoff from conventional cotton production can contribute to eutrophication.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
From SheetsGate to purposefully washing Joy’s uniforms with rags, the laundry room has unleashed something deranged in Gen.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of washing

Verb

Three people were arrested earlier this week after Woodland police found heavy-gauge copper wire and cutting tools in their vehicle near a community center where wiring had been stolen from about 10 light poles, authorities said.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
My focus is cutting traffic gridlock through AI light synchronization, equipping police with advanced tech, protecting residential zoning against over-development, and streamlining municipal permitting with strict fiscal accountability.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026