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
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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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The film was finished in 2019, but the Bolsonaro government withheld funding for its distribution, effectively censoring the movie.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025 -
Within the self-censoring limits of the genre, Eisgruber has sensible things to say, maybe too sensible.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Childhood vaccinations are widely considered effective and safe—eradicating illnesses that once claimed kids’ lives, such as mumps and polio.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
18 Sep. 2025
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What is the 2026 equivalent of eradicating malaria?—
Will McDuffie,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Julia's House works to support the families of children with life-shortening and life-threatening conditions and operates hospices in Dorset and Wiltshire.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
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Watering mums from above has a similar effect, leaving blooms bedraggled and dull and shortening the lifespan of the flowers.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Sep. 2025
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,
27 Sep. 2025
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China’s powerful internet censors have long been known for erasing political dissent, vitriol against the Communist Party leadership, and mention of sensitive historical events.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Central had two players that had 20 or more carries with Martin picking up 129 yards on 22 carries and Taylor with 75 yards on 23 totes.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
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Everton are picking up the pieces after a decade of turmoil.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
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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Both Biss and Abughazaleh support abolishing ICE, and the winner of their primary will be heavily favored to hold a seat whose voters backed Kamala Harris by 37 points last year.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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That could lead to more push back from the public, guilds, unions and other entities that might aggressively fight against the idea of abolishing the station cap.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
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 Sep. 2025.
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