1
as in tidying (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in censoring
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eradicating
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning (up)
Verb
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An internal streaming service mimics global platforms while tightly censoring content.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026 -
The censure is not about censoring Martinez, Zepeda said, but is instead meant to set a precedent for the type of behavior the council expects of its political leaders.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Global health officials are aiming to replicate the success of eradicating smallpox, which in 1980 became the first disease to be eliminated through human efforts.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
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These materials conform precisely to the shape of your unique foot, eradicating extra space in your boots.—
Sergei Poljak,
Outside,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Melting sea ice has opened new shipping lanes, including the Northern Sea Route, dramatically shortening transit times between Europe and Asia.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Speed, in this context, is less about haste and more about shortening the feedback loop between insight and application.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Its stock has experienced declines exceeding 30% within a period of under two months on three separate occasions in recent years, resulting in the loss of billions in market capitalization, and erasing significant gains in a single correction.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shoppers are picking up essentials early, aiming to avoid last-minute trips if roads become unsafe.—
Nicole Nielsen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Trent Perry is picking up the slack for the UCLA basketball team.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Outdoor Voices, once the toast of the category, faded into restructuring, wiping out its entire social media presence.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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At least 61,000 people living in the Gaza Strip have died in Israel’s subsequent military campaign aimed at wiping out Hamas and recovering the hostages.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Two days later, at an outdoor rally, he was asked to commit to abolishing the police department.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
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The mayor and Tisch have different stances on several public safety issues, including keeping police headcount flat, abolishing the department’s controversial Strategic Response Group and eliminating the NYPD’s gang database.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cleaning (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaning%20%28up%29. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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