1
as in to tidy (up)
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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2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
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3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 19 Mar. 2026
As the fraud spreads, so does the cleanup.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
The city spends approximately $2 million per year on the team, including personnel costs, contracts for the four navigators, cleanup crews, the transitional home, hotel vouchers and other operational costs, according to Maria Kniestedt, a spokesperson for the city.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
With Commoner’s approach, technological problems such as toxic waste and nuclear radiation, would be solved through cleanups and improved processes.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
There’s no stove or skillet cleanup!
—Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 19 Mar. 2026
As the fraud spreads, so does the cleanup.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
The city spends approximately $2 million per year on the team, including personnel costs, contracts for the four navigators, cleanup crews, the transitional home, hotel vouchers and other operational costs, according to Maria Kniestedt, a spokesperson for the city.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
With Commoner’s approach, technological problems such as toxic waste and nuclear radiation, would be solved through cleanups and improved processes.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Critics see the guidelines as a way Trump is trying to both protect Big Tech and gain control over which tech companies are targeted and censored.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2026
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Even before the law was passed, publishers began preemptively censoring manuscripts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The past year has seen the highest rates of measles since before the disease was eradicated in 2000, and the country may already have lost its measles-free status.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
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Legislation to create a rapid response program to eradicate the noxious invasive weed hydrilla, which has jumped from the Connecticut River to the state’s biggest lakes, received a positive reception at a public hearing at the legislature.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The revelation about Joseph Félix Badio, a former official in Haiti’s anti-corruption unit who was fired months before the brazen killing, emerged Monday during the cross-examination of an FBI official who served as a case agent.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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Yaldo was arraigned on March 20 on one count of third-degree killing/torturing of animals, a four-year felony, and given a $75,000 bond.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The subway project is designed to extend the Q line almost 2 miles into Harlem and East Harlem, shortening the daily commutes of upwards of 100,000 New Yorkers.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
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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,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s why our testers—spanning a wide range of skin types, ages, and skin concerns—have spent months determining which products actually deliver on their fine-line-smoothing and dark-circle-erasing promises.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
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In terms of sheer duration, nothing tops the 1994-95 strike, a 232-day encounter between immovable object and unstoppable force that erased a total of 948 games and led to the cancellation of the World Series.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But execs — some of whom will meet with Vice President JD Vance today — with a slightly longer perspective look at this moment and see mainly chaos, not profit.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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But General Mills fell 3% after the company behind the Pillsbury, Progresso and Wheaties brands reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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It was reviewed and edited by a team of content specialists.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
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Terri Cullen edited this edition.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The tech industry has fiercely lobbied against efforts to modify or abolish Section 230, as it is considered a cornerstone of Silicon Valley’s growth over the past 30 years.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Illinois Senate primary was won by a progressive candidate who supports abolishing ICE.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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