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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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The cost of cleanup Georgia Power has spent $2 billion to clean up 29 coal ash ponds in 11 sites across the state.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The blending arm is removable for easy cleanup.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
And so there’s a bunch of weird context and cleanup that’s taking longer than the original initial task would have taken to just do the damn thing.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
Infield play is a major strength between seniors Abby Brown (first base), Margaret Redgate (shortstop), Evie Marillo (catcher) and cleanup hitter Sophie Enye (third base), and Elizabeth McDonnell is a force in the circle.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
The cost of cleanup Georgia Power has spent $2 billion to clean up 29 coal ash ponds in 11 sites across the state.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The blending arm is removable for easy cleanup.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
And so there’s a bunch of weird context and cleanup that’s taking longer than the original initial task would have taken to just do the damn thing.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
-
Tens of millions of people — especially in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia — even now prefer the Beeb’s foreign language news to the local variety, rigorously censored by their own governments.—
Max Hastings,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
According to the institution, witnesses for both sides testified during the trial that if the materials were returned to China, they would at the least be censored and more likely be banned.—
Jennifer Jett,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
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Our hope is that, over time, this app will help eradicate bad brushing habits to improve our overall dental health.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The night of the killing On the night of Sunday, March 9, 1941, Funk took Welsh to the final performance of the Police Circus at Municipal Auditorium, a benefit put on by the Hamid-Morton Circus to support the Kansas City Police Department.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, prosecutors are in plea talks with a third man charged in Mizell's killing, prosecutors and his lawyers told the judge in a March 12 letter.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Terms on the seven-person board are six years long, though a Missouri bill to shorten the terms to three years passed the state Senate and is working its way through the House.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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When attention spans are shortened, distractions multiply, and burnout rises across industries, the competitive edge comes from teams who can regulate stress, sustain focus and think creatively under pressure.—
Elan Gepner-Dales,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Indians erased an early 3-0 deficit with 3 runs in the second and 4 in the fourth.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Then there is that silence motivated by the desire to protect one’s self through trying to erase the thing never discussed.—
Cyraina Johnson-Roullier,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To that end, 100 percent of the inn’s profits are funneled to Shorefast for reinvestment in community work.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
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Jimenez, who works as a custodian, said that shopping at the non profit's market saves her family a lot of money.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the four and a half decades since France abolished the death penalty, the guillotine itself has rarely been seen.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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If holistic admissions were abolished (and admissions were based solely on grades, curricular rigor and test scores), the percentage of students with parents in the top 1% of income would drop by more than a third.—
David Blobaum,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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