1
as in to tidy (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom
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2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
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3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
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as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Axios Portland, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $100 million to the cleanup effort.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
If confirmed, Wright will take over a department that oversees the United States energy supplies, as well as the research and development of nuclear power, 17 laboratories and the cleanup of Cold War-era nuclear efforts.
—Darren Samuelsohn, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Offer specific help, such as providing meals, assisting with cleanup, or connecting them to local resources and shelters.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up) 
Noun
One year after the ice storm that devastated much of the Portland area, toppling hundreds of trees and knocking out power to thousands, some Lake Oswego residents are still working on cleanup and preparing for more extreme weather.
—Axios Portland, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $100 million to the cleanup effort.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
If confirmed, Wright will take over a department that oversees the United States energy supplies, as well as the research and development of nuclear power, 17 laboratories and the cleanup of Cold War-era nuclear efforts.
—Darren Samuelsohn, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Offer specific help, such as providing meals, assisting with cleanup, or connecting them to local resources and shelters.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Soon, though, the authorities turned against Fang Fang, censoring her posts and banning her from publishing.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
24 Jan. 2025
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In fact, the Communications Act explicitly prohibits the Commission from censoring broadcasters.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The theory holds that a community that rids itself of petty crime, such as shoplifting, vandalism and trespassing, can eradicate more serious crime because criminals won’t have anywhere to hide.—
JULIE K. BROWN,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
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Its achievements include eradicating smallpox and bringing polio to the brink of elimination.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The highest-profile killings were the murders of Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, in Brentwood on Sept. 13, 2016.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2025
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The department had long engaged in mistreatment of the city’s Black community and been plagued by high-profile scandals including a 1994 murder ordered by a corrupt officer and an attempt to cover up police killings of unarmed civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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While many top 10 hits give the listener more chorus as a song progresses, the ‘Blinding Lights’ creators actually shorten the chorus as the song progresses.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
10 Jan. 2025
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The state is also working on streamlining paperwork for transfers and shortening transition timelines.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The odds are that the response will sit in an internal digital memory buffer for a while and not be immediately erased or discarded.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
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Nearby Altadena, a historically largely Black neighborhood, has essentially been erased from the map.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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JPMorgan's profit rose to a record high in 2024 as its dealmakers and traders reaped a windfall from rebounding markets in the fourth quarter.—
Pritam Biswas and Nupur Anand,
USA TODAY,
25 Jan. 2025
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Both efforts reflect growing dissatisfaction with Boohoo’s direction from its investors, as the business struggles to reverse sliding profits and restore market confidence.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This week’s International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and edited by Max Goldbart.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
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By Ben Guarino edited by Dean Visser Join Our Community of Science Lovers!—
Ben Guarino,
Scientific American,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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About a quarter century after slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico (1873), another Afro-Puerto Rican genre emerged known as the plena.—
Vanessa Diaz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Jan. 2025
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Trump said in December that the debt ceiling should be abolished, a position shared by some liberal lawmakers.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to clean (up)
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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