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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censor
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 to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of clean (up)
Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Bell Street marked this year’s second encampment cleanup, according to the public works department.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Peters was one of many who showed up for the cleanup.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Communities in Oklahoma have come together to support cleanup efforts and help neighbors whose homes were decimated.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The best approach is simply to avoid the area until cleanup is actually possible.
—Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Bell Street marked this year’s second encampment cleanup, according to the public works department.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Peters was one of many who showed up for the cleanup.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Communities in Oklahoma have come together to support cleanup efforts and help neighbors whose homes were decimated.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
-
Davidson’s Tourette’s causes involuntary tics, and he was heard cursing throughout the show, however the BBC failed to censor the N-word during its broadcast, causing further harm.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Add to those concerns the possibility that bad news about the economy is being censored.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And finally, externally, impacts from objects passing through our inner Solar System could wipe all of humanity out, just as so much terrestrial life was eradicated 65 million years ago.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Orange County sprays herbicides to eradicate vegetation in flood control channels.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lebanon has been pulled deep into the war in the Middle East since Hezbollah opened fire to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader, igniting an Israeli offensive which has killed nearly 500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities − with the death toll rising by around 100 a day.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In Mexico, reactions from organized crime following the killing of a major cartel leader, and abroad, a military incursion in Iran, have forced FIFA to divide its attention across multiple fronts.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Keeping several fruits together at room temperature can shorten their overall shelf life, including bananas, Deering explains.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
-
High temperatures increase the risk of damage to battery cells and shorten their service life.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Islanders had erased 2-0 deficits in each of their last three wins, but the Ducks kept them off the board in part by killing three penalties in the second period.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The Tigers erased an 11-point halftime deficit in the third quarter, knotting the contest at 33-33 before running out of gas — just as Bama was mashing the pedal to the floor.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Komarow then allegedly used the brokerage accounts to conduct high-risk, short-term options trading in an attempt to make immediate profits to cover his insufficient funds, officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The label, founded 25 years ago, has not turned a profit since 2017, yet McCartney chose full independence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This article has been edited to include a statement from Dick's representative and information on injuries Dick sustained from a 2019 attack.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hopper’s main priorities include abolishing property taxes, securing the Texas border, and protecting the right to bear arms, among other issues, according to his website.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Political instability has repeatedly shaken Nepal since the monarchy was abolished in 2008.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
