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
-
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
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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
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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
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Orion entered the atmosphere on a steeper trajectory, shortening the heat shield’s exposure time to extreme heating.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
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Key Takeaways Echinacea may lower your risk of catching a cold, while zinc is more effective at shortening the length of an existing virus.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But what was liberating was also erasing.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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The major averages were on pace for sharp gains on Friday, with the S & P 500 on the verge of erasing its losses since the start of the Iran war.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film has screened at more than 85 festivals across some 40 countries since its Sundance breakthrough, picking up the jury prize at the inaugural SXSW London in 2025.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
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Parents picking up or dropping off kids will have to wait in the lobby.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 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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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
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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
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For a few minutes at each end of that window, the moon’s edge will appear to align with that of the sun, blotting out the star’s fierce light and revealing the wispy corona off to one side.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
6 Apr. 2026
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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
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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 13 Apr. 2026.
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