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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as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Trump campaign officials spent the following hours and days of the MSG rally doing cleanup and trying to distance their candidate from the controversy.
—Rebecca Picciotto, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
These typically have an extremely high airflow capacity, making yard cleanup work much more efficient.
—Sandi Schwartz, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Only a bug in the malware's cleanup attempts on a small fraction of the affected machines allowed Sophos to analyze the intrusions and begin to study the hackers targeting its products.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean (up) 
Noun
Most of the cleanup of the layers and layers of mud and debris that has invaded countless homes has been done by residents and thousands of volunteers.
—Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Trump campaign officials spent the following hours and days of the MSG rally doing cleanup and trying to distance their candidate from the controversy.
—Rebecca Picciotto, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
These typically have an extremely high airflow capacity, making yard cleanup work much more efficient.
—Sandi Schwartz, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Only a bug in the malware's cleanup attempts on a small fraction of the affected machines allowed Sophos to analyze the intrusions and begin to study the hackers targeting its products.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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In a perfect world, there would be some logic to getting rid of the equal-time rule, and, quite frankly, the same FCC regulations that force networks to censor four-letter words that are ubiquitous on virtually every other form of media.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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For Chris Hill, who runs operations for a commercial bathroom remodeling firm in nearby Mechanicsburg, Musk is taking a stand against cosmopolitan elites who want to censor his language and suppress his political views.Eric Cortellessa / Lancaster, TIME, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
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California has spent millions eradicating invasive species like nutria, Atlantic cordgrass and the European green crab.Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
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By eradicating the metal wire, EBY instead opted for a nylon thread, taking over the duty of the wire.Essence, Essence, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Grayson is the only one of the four facing a death sentence since the other teens were under 18 at the time of the killing.CBS News, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024
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That’s the same number of killings that occurred during the entire month of November last year, according to Police Department data.Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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There may be other ways to cut costs rather than shorten the guest list, particularly if your fiance feels his family members might feel slighted if they aren’t invited.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 18 Nov. 2024
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That lead shortened against President Joe Biden in 2020, when Trump won by 1.3 percent.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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And what a loss that would be, erasing the splashes of yellow and orange every fall and silencing the quaking of the leaves.Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2024
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Compared to its March peak of $123, the price has plunged over 85%, erasing over $55 billion in value.Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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All of the profits from the Puppy Love shampoo will benefit Aniston's animal-centric nonprofit, The Clydeo Fund.Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2024
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Adjusted operating profit rose 8 percent to 118.5 million euros.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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This interview, which took place before Tuesday’s election, has been edited for length and clarity.Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Nov. 2024
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This conversation has been edited for length, continuity and clarity.Megan Poinski, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Despite proposals to change or abolish the Electoral College (the University of Central Florida reports there have been over 1,000), there are many reasons why these attempts failed.Russell Falcon, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
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Alaska, California, Louisiana and Washington have abolished party primaries for congressional elections and replaced them with open, all-candidate primaries.Russell Contreras, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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