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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Reese looked cooked after picking up four quick fouls in the first half, spending way too much time riding the pine.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026 -
Folks shivering in the freezing cold to deliver our packages, picking up trash to keep our parks clean.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Professors are censoring themselves in lectures and rewriting syllabuses.—
Bruce Schneier,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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Residents began self-censoring in private chats and deleting posts out of fear of reprisal.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This strategy was key to eradicating the pest for the first time in the 1960s.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
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Some wall texts are labeled The work that remained and describe shortfalls of Obama-era policies and ambitions, such as the Affordable Care Act or eradicating nuclear weapons.—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Verb
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And while research shows that exercise supports healthy sleep by regulating body temperature, mood, metabolism and circadian rhythm, Weiner cautions that exercising too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep by delaying sleep onset, shortening sleep duration and lowering overall sleep quality.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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By shortening the policy statement and dropping forward guidance, Warsh signaled a shift toward a data‑first approach that could leave markets with less advance warning on future rate moves.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
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Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Game 5, erasing a 10-point, first-quarter deficit.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Shares slumped 16% for a third straight session of losses, wiping out $400 billion in market cap on Monday alone.—
Gail Krishnan,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
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The prospect of even a mini-Dust Bowl is alarming as the original disaster during the Great Depression sent dust clouds across rural America, wiping out entire communities and triggering mass migration to other parts of the country.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
Verb
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About six months after Granger's arrival in Galveston, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationwide was ratified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
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About six months after Granger’s arrival in Galveston, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationwide was ratified.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 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 23 Jun. 2026.
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