cleans (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of clean (up)
1
as in cleans house
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in censors
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 erases
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 cleans (up)
  1. censors
  2. erases
  3. shortens
  4. eradicates
  5. abolishes
  6. wipes out
  7. destroys
Verb
  • Shame on any educational institution that censors speech condemning it.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
  • In 2019, the state passed a law that censors me from saying certain things to my clients.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
Definition of censors
Verb
  • Windows automatically erases them after 72 hours to prevent them from using too much disk space.
    — Chris Hoffman, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • The whole thing with Pullman porters is they weren’t called by their names, they were all called George, so that erases your identity.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2026
Definition of erases
Verb
  • Underwater, the wings passively bend up to 90%, which cuts the load on the motor and shortens the effective sweep of each flap.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Electra believes those capabilities could support a new point-to-point transportation model that reduces dependence on large commercial airports and shortens regional travel.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of shortens
Verb
  • But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Treating the underlying condition eradicates the need for drug treatments that act globally.
    — Dr. Patricia Richard, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of eradicates
Verb
  • Instead, this measure abolishes them.
    — Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The Iranian parliament has just approved a law that abolishes prison sentences for those who had to leave Iran illegally.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2025
Definition of abolishes
Verb
  • This major markdown wipes out the steep premiums on most high-tier gaming displays, allowing e-sports players and media creators to rise through the ranks with a highly fluid, ultra-clear panoramic canvas.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • Continue reading … LINES REDRAWN — Supreme Court greenlights Alabama GOP map that wipes out a majority-Black district.
    — , FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Definition of wipes out
Verb
  • Ground-level testing often gets distorted by background emissions from surrounding soil and vegetation, while flying delicate sensors directly into corrosive plumes rapidly destroys the equipment.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
  • Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a crass and charismatic oil executive who’s called upon to help save the world after his company nearly destroys it.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 July 2026
Definition of destroys
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cleans (out)
cleans (up)
cleans up one's act
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Cite this Entry

“Cleans (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleans%20%28up%29. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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