mopped up; mopping up; mops up
1
British
: to consume eagerly
2
: to gather as if by absorbing
3
: to overcome decisively : trounce
4
: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive
: to complete a project, transaction, or task
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
Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The veteran Brubaker had been working as a long/mop-up man in the Yankees’ bullpen.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Rob Van Straten, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Patrol and mop up residual heat, focusing on Arctic Canyon where rollout hazards persist and Div M/S break where spotting toward Highway 18 is possible.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mop-up
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Noun
About 200 personnel continue to work on containment lines, mop-up and hazard tree mitigation, Cal Fire AEU said in a Monday update.
—Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
The veteran Brubaker had been working as a long/mop-up man in the Yankees’ bullpen.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Focusing solely on slowing down future emissions is like trying to mop up a catastrophic flood while the main water line is still broken and gushing.
—Rob Van Straten, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Patrol and mop up residual heat, focusing on Arctic Canyon where rollout hazards persist and Div M/S break where spotting toward Highway 18 is possible.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mop-up
Cite this Entry
“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mop-up. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
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