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
-
Meta executives emphasized at trial that the company continuously improves safety and addresses compulsive social media use without infringing on free speech or censoring users.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026 -
Even before the law was passed, publishers began preemptively censoring manuscripts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This makes prediction markets the most useful and precise tool for eradicating exposing insider trading that has ever existed—a tool Congress should rely on heavily, not legislate out of existence.—
Nic Puckrin,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In Namibia, local authorities were producing millions of tons of wood chips while eradicating an invasive bush.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Certain lifestyle habits can negatively affect your physical and mental health, shortening your potential lifespan.—
Sharon Basaraba,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Give your signature lob a fresh new update by shortening it in the back and letting the front pieces fall into a flattering angle.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cody Bellinger contributed to the Yankees erasing a four-run deficit through four innings by driving in three runs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But the Flames had converted four times on either odd-man rushes or breakaways, erasing the Ducks’ early 1-0 lead.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Charges say surveillance video from the day care shows the woman picking up a child and falling backward into the wall, also slamming the child's head into the wall.—
Riley Moser,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Swapped is Jordan’s first movie since picking up the Best Actor nomination for Sinners.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The clock ran out on a bill aimed at moving Georgia to a new time zone, ending supporters’ hopes of abolishing the chore of changing the clocks twice per year.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The National Women’s Soccer League announced a new CBA in the summer of 2024 that included giving players agency on where they are traded and abolishing expansion and collegiate drafts.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During Monday’s lunar flyby, the moon will be between the Orion capsule and the sun, blotting out its retina-burning light so that MAPS’s fainter glow can be safely seen.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
-
From up in the space shuttle, in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride could see the pollution blotting out her Los Angeles hometown.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cleaning (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaning%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
