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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning (up)
Verb
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The conventionally cheery tone is almost a hostile presence, drowning out and censoring Lee’s real thoughts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025 -
The investigations into teachers’ social media posts has created a climate of vulnerability and fear, Boyd said, where both teachers and even students start self-censoring when engaging in public discourse.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sixth-generation Texas rancher James Clement III told CNBC the key to eradicating the screwworm threat is years out.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
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Texas only gained 179 yards for the game, eradicating the good offensive vibes from the previous week.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to Simpson, the staff first chose this timeline, rather than cutting service entirely or shortening the season more, due to feedback from residents and members of the city's Senior Commission.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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Once opened, air exposure and cross-contamination from utensils can introduce moisture and bacteria, shortening their shelf life.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
19 Oct. 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,
25 Oct. 2025
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Private equity firms are showing a great interest in buying into the NFL — the biggest and most profitable sports league in the world — and are boosting values by setting a floor on valuations and erasing concerns other limited partners may have had over liquidity, CNBC reported.—
Michael Ozanian,
CNBC,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While reflecting on her first performance, Furtado remembered buying the pink dress from a store called Original on Queen West in Toronto, and also picking up some sparkly platform shoes for the monumental moment.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Nelson’s defense gave up 158 total yards, with the Texans picking up just 41 yards on the ground on 30 attempts.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Oct. 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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DeSantis has repeatedly spoken in support of abolishing state property taxes entirely, an option that is still being considered by lawmakers—though a recent survey showed that a majority of Floridians do not back such drastic action.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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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
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 31 Oct. 2025.
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