mop-up

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The wing out of Cal has received only mop-up duty to this stage. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024 Walker, less than halfway through a four-year, $72 million deal, will be an expensive mop-up man in September. Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
Verb
The Broad Fire burned around 33 acres, but its forward progress was stopped and firefighters were mopping up late Wednesday afternoon, Malibu’s city government said. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 The Berlin fire was just one of 111 brush or wildfires around the state being monitored or mopped up by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and local fire crews, officials said at a Sunday night news briefing. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mop-up 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mop-up was circa 1811

Dictionary Entries Near mop-up

Cite this Entry

“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mop-up. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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