as in cleaning
to use a vacuum cleaner on (something) in order to remove dirt
I vacuumed the living room.
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Recent Examples of vacuuming
Ever feel like your home feels dustier after you're done vacuuming?
—
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
This forces your house cleaner to spend time picking up instead of vacuuming your carpet.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Even decorative throw pillows can be freshened by vacuuming away dust and cleaning the covers.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
Simple habits like vacuuming more frequently and avoiding personal care products that contain phthalates can lower exposures.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
If the bugs do get inside, sweeping or vacuuming them up is perhaps the easiest way to dispose of the insects.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Rhincodon typus, to use their scientific name, eat their ample fill by ram filter-feeding, vacuuming up gallons of water to strain out small prey before the water exits their gills.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
This forces your house cleaner to spend time picking up instead of vacuuming your carpet.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Even decorative throw pillows can be freshened by vacuuming away dust and cleaning the covers.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
Simple habits like vacuuming more frequently and avoiding personal care products that contain phthalates can lower exposures.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
If the bugs do get inside, sweeping or vacuuming them up is perhaps the easiest way to dispose of the insects.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Rhincodon typus, to use their scientific name, eat their ample fill by ram filter-feeding, vacuuming up gallons of water to strain out small prey before the water exits their gills.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vacuuming
Verb
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Tanu Grewal is the chief cleaning officer at Pinalen, Cloralen and Ensueno Laundry.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
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For Freshening Bed Linens If your spring cleaning routine involves tackling the bed linens, consider adding lemon juice to this process to keep them fresh.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From brushing ice in curling to flying down an ice track headfirst in skeleton, the Winter Olympics are home to some unique and exciting sports that feature uncommon vernacular.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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His wife of fifty years, Mona, who was seated beside him, emerged from the wreck shaken but seemingly unharmed, brushing off a small bump on her brow.—
Shannon Taggart,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Pitt has garnered critical acclaim and earned several awards, including sweeping the 2025 Emmys and taking home two trophies at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, including Wyle’s win for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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If previous protests had been specific to United, the widespread unrest that broke out in spring 2021 was emblematic of a wider rage sweeping across English football.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is done by scrubbing the feeder and its parts with mind soap and water, then soaking it in a diluted bleach solution.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
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While most of us know about laundry, decluttering, and scrubbing the bathroom, there are some tasks that even the most ardent cleaners may overlook.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The inspector noted rusty shelves in the walk-in cooler, a fly strip directly over a food prep area and an employee washing their hands at the warewashing sink.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
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Someone else wiped his face with his hand and grabbed a bowl of cooked chicken without washing hands.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vacuuming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vacuuming. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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