cleanse

1 of 2

verb

ˈklenz 

cleansed; cleansing; cleanses

transitive verb

1

: clean

especially : to rid of impurities by or as if by washing

cleansed the wound

It's that mystical state most athletes are lucky to achieve a few times in their careers. The mind is cleansed. The body is free.

—Jon Wertheim

2

: to expel, imprison, or kill (the members of an ethnic minority) in (an area) : to subject to or remove by ethnic cleansing

In 1996, tens of thousands of ethnic Tutsis, most of them of Rwandan origin, were murdered or ethnically cleansed in the Masisi region of eastern Zaire.

—David Rieff

intransitive verb

: to engage in or undergo a cleanse to remove toxins from the body

Some people who cleanse say they experience dramatic physical changes.

—Karen Hube

cleanse

2 of 2

noun

: a very restrictive short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body

Under the supervision of her nutritionist … Gillian Anderson has reportedly participated in cleanses that consist of little more than liquids for 10 days.

—J. D. Heiman

… told me about her 28-day cleanse, which limits the caffeine, sugar, gluten, dairy and red meat in your diet.

—Jon Harris

Synonyms

Verb

• purge
• purify
• sanctify

Examples of cleanse in a Sentence

Verb

The cut should be cleansed gently with mild soap and water.

in an elaborate ritual the priestess cleansed the gathering of supplicants

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There have been five mass extinctions on this planet, where almost all life was eradicated, its occupiers cleansed from this place. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Mar. 2025

This ritual is meant to cleanse the home of chametz (food and drink containing yeast or baking powder) to remind Jews of the flat loaves the ancient Jews baked in the sun for their hasty escape. —Holly Rizzuto Palker, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025

Noun

The first step will be a cleanse with a gentle cleanser to make sure no makeup, oil, or debris will get in the way of the solution. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025

Our experts say having a post-cooking cleanse is the ultimate daily habit to keeping your home clean and preventing unwanted odors in your home. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English clensen, from Old English clǣnsian to purify, from clǣne clean

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1999, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cleanse

• cleanse the palate

Rhymes for cleanse

• bens
• dens
• gens
• glens
• hens
• jens
• pens
• tens
• wrens
• zens
• cheyennes
• demesnes

Kids Definition

cleanse

verb

ˈklenz 

cleansed; cleansing

: to make clean

Medical Definition

cleanse

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈklenz

cleansed; cleansing

: to make clean

intransitive verb

: to engage in or undergo a cleanse to remove toxins from the body

cleanse

2 of 2 noun

: a very restrictive short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body