1
: an act or instance of cleaning
The children helped with the cleanup.
2
: an exceptionally large profit
made a cleanup [=killing] when he sold his stocks
: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team
a cleanup hitter
cleanup
adverb
cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up
1
: to make a spectacular profit in a business enterprise or a killing in speculation or gambling
2
: to become free of drug or alcohol addiction
I always cleaned up for tours. … By the end of the tour, I'm perfectly clean and should have stayed sober.—
Keith Richards
Keith RichardsExamples of cleanup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
And crews that had traveled to support prescribed burns in Florida were turned back, while those assisting with wildfire cleanup in California faced confusion over how long they would be allowed to do that work.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 14 Feb. 2025
Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2025
Officials continue encouraging neighborhood coordination for cleanup efforts, though tensions between speed and safety protocols are likely to persist throughout the recovery process.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Taylor Fishman, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2025
Following the fête, the couple cleans up the broken shards to ward off evil spirits, symbolizing their ability to face hardships together in their married life.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cleanup 
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Noun
When Melvin hands over his first scorecard at Great American Ballpark on March 27, the sheet of paper will likely feature Willy Adames in the two-hole, Matt Chapman batting cleanup and Heliot Ramos batting fifth.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
And crews that had traveled to support prescribed burns in Florida were turned back, while those assisting with wildfire cleanup in California faced confusion over how long they would be allowed to do that work.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
In the immediate aftermath, Joe returned to Ground Zero to assist with cleanup efforts.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2025
Officials continue encouraging neighborhood coordination for cleanup efforts, though tensions between speed and safety protocols are likely to persist throughout the recovery process.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
Recovery efforts are still active in the Potomac River as crews continue to clean up the wreckage and pick up significant portions of the plane.
—Taylor Fishman, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2025
Following the fête, the couple cleans up the broken shards to ward off evil spirits, symbolizing their ability to face hardships together in their married life.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cleanup
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Dictionary Entries Near cleanup
Cite this Entry
“Cleanup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanup. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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