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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleans (up)
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
Verb
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Continuing its focus on privacy, the app features a flame button that instantly erases all your history.—
Michael Muchmore,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
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Antler erases this stereotype once and for all by emphasizing all things artisanal, warmth-exuding, and high-texture with its summer launch.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Because the 49ers abd Rams play on the NFL’s first Thursday Night Football game, that shortens Kittle’s runway.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
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Clearing out clogs helps the machine run more efficiently, reduces wear and tear, and shortens drying times.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Treating the underlying condition eradicates the need for drug treatments that act globally.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
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This method completely eradicates weeds on contact without any toxic chemicals.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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Continue reading … LINES REDRAWN — Supreme Court greenlights Alabama GOP map that wipes out a majority-Black district.—
,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist and a former Google executive, has warned in the past that there is a 10% to 20% chance that AI wipes out humans.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Standard recycling destroys the whole part just to clean it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
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The mechanism is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, abundant in bananas, which destroys flavanols both during blending and inside the stomach.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
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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 Jun. 2026.
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