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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Matt Lehman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Also, cleanup afterwards may be more arduous since guests have spent time in multiple spaces.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
The Civilian Climate Response Corps would bring in mobile tool libraries to drive around the community and lend the tools for homeowners and renters to start the cleanup safely, with the appropriate tools and instructions on their safe use.
—David Bainbridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is launching a non-profit that aims to pressure the government to expedite the cleanup and recovery in the wake of January’s devastating L.A. fires.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up) 
Noun
In a public/private partnership, developers invest in the real estate while the city acquires and assists with cleanup and infrastructure.
—Matt Lehman, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Also, cleanup afterwards may be more arduous since guests have spent time in multiple spaces.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
The Civilian Climate Response Corps would bring in mobile tool libraries to drive around the community and lend the tools for homeowners and renters to start the cleanup safely, with the appropriate tools and instructions on their safe use.
—David Bainbridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso is launching a non-profit that aims to pressure the government to expedite the cleanup and recovery in the wake of January’s devastating L.A. fires.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Mahmoud believes that the raid on the Educational Bookshop is just another step in Israel's mission to censor Palestinian voices.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2025
-
As individual actors retreat to the sidelines or censor themselves, societal opposition weakens.—
STEVEN LEVITSKY,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Prions behave differently than viruses and bacteria and are virtually impossible to eradicate.—
Jim Robbin,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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However, the longer the marathon, the more the runners’ energy reserves are drained, making reaching the finish line – eradicating cancer, say – increasingly difficult.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Superintendent Moore is very popular among the miners here, and so much feeling was aroused over the killing that officers took Barnes to the jail in Ozark tonight as a precaution against violence.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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After the sentencing for Dobson's killing, he was accused of angrily breaking a sprinkler head in his holding cell, which flooded the courtroom.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The project also includes curb extensions to shorten crossing distances.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2025
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The Congressional Record noted that the mine shortened the war by at least a year and saved 1 million American soldiers’ lives.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Those odds dropped slowly with each game Ovechkin missed due to a fractured left fibula until all progress from his hot streak was erased.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
-
That’s surrender — to the idea that this is a zero-sum war where one side must be erased for the other to survive.—
Hen Mazzig,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Southwest last month reported fourth-quarter profits that surpassed Wall Street estimates, on the back of improved airfares and strong holiday travel demand.—
Deborah Sophia,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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Its stock has quadrupled since the start of 2024, fueled by three consecutive quarters with a net profit of at least $150 million.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians.—
TIME,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
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The film is written, directed, produced, shot and edited by Das.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But Reagan faced a Democratic House of Representatives that objected, and by 1984, the GOP had abandoned its call for abolishing the department.—
Richard Stengel,
TIME,
15 Feb. 2025
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Moreover, the president has intertwined his calls to abolish the $268 billion bureaucracy with attempts to leverage it to advance his own agenda.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to clean (up)
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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