cleanup

1 of 3

noun

clean·​up ˈklēn-ˌəp 

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

cleanup

2 of 3

adjective

: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team

a cleanup hitter

cleanup adverb

clean up

3 of 3

verb

cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up

intransitive verb

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

Examples of cleanup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But even after an extensive and expensive cleanup effort, officials have acknowledged that swimming events planned for the river may have to be postponed or canceled if the water remains too dirty. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 13 June 2024

More information on cleanup Read the CDC’s guidance on mold remediation. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 13 June 2024

Adjective

The Idaho Transportation Department was also assisting in cleanup efforts. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 June 2024

That was the case for hundreds of cleanup workers for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston coal ash spill in 2008, often referred to as the worst ash spill in history. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2024

Verb

Ask her to do basic things to clean up after herself, like washing her dishes and putting away her belongings. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 18 June 2024

On Tuesday, more than 200 Breckenridge Ski Resort employees traversed the mountain’s most popular peaks to clean up the remnants of winter before opening for summer recreation on Friday. —Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post, 14 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

see clean entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cleanup

noun

clean·​up

ˈklē-ˌnəp

: an act or instance of cleaning

helped with the cleanup after the meal