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

Firefighters will remain on-scene overnight working on mop-up in heavy fuel loading. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025

The previous season, Blaine Gabbert appeared in two games, one in a mop-up role and the other with the Week 18 reserves. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2025

Verb

The Ducks had to switch goalies in Calgary after John Gibson sustained an injury and Lukáš Dostál, who mopped up that loss, bore the brunt of the Ducks’ collapse after going up a goal and generating multiple odd-man rushes early. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2025

Similarly, a quick-drying Turkish cotton towel will dry your entire body at the pool and can also be used as a beach blanket, worn as a sarong, or mop up any spills along the way. —Lyndsey Matthews, AFAR Media, 17 Mar. 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