mop-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäp-ˌəp 

often attributive

: a concluding action or phase

mop up

2 of 2

verb

mopped up; mopping up; mops up

transitive verb

1

British : to consume eagerly

2

: to gather as if by absorbing

also : garner

mopped up all the awards

3

: to overcome decisively : trounce

4

: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive

intransitive verb

: to complete a project, transaction, or task

Synonyms

Noun

• capper
• close
• closing
• conclusion
• consummation
• end
• endgame
• ending
• finale
• finis
• finish
• grand finale
• homestretch
• windup
• wrap-up

Examples of mop-up in a Sentence

Noun

the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Operational focus will include deep mop-up, hazard tree mitigation, and preparation for potential weather shifts in the coming days. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025

DeSmith hadn’t played in more than a month, his mop-up duty in Game 4 of the first round his only action since the end of the regular season. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 30 May 2025

Verb

Ground resources will remain at scene through the night reinforcing containment lines and mopping up. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025

Such an action would involve destroying much of the adversary’s nuclear arsenal in a surprise attack, and mopping up whatever is left with defensive systems. —William Hartung, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for mop-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup