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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Tyler Faurot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Not only does using the slow-cooker make cleanup a breeze but cooking low and slow creates juicy, tender results that everyone will be talking about.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
His work helps establish when the damage would have occurred, which insurers were on the hook, and the extent of cleanup that would be required.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The monumental cleanup of the Seine, allowing public swimming after a century, may be the most visible symbol of what's possible when a city truly commits to sustainability.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The cleanup site, a patch of land along Cabrillo Memorial Drive, was a disposal site for construction and demolition rubble between 1955 and 1965.
—Tyler Faurot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Not only does using the slow-cooker make cleanup a breeze but cooking low and slow creates juicy, tender results that everyone will be talking about.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
His work helps establish when the damage would have occurred, which insurers were on the hook, and the extent of cleanup that would be required.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The monumental cleanup of the Seine, allowing public swimming after a century, may be the most visible symbol of what's possible when a city truly commits to sustainability.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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In truth, Lebanese law does not censor nudity or online pornography.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
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The report found of the 329 Ohio State students who responded, 43% reported self-censoring on campus.—
Chris Quintana,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taking the time to invest in people-centric practices in your workplace and eradicate old norms that are no longer serving us is a critical skill of 21st-century leaders.—
Ellen Whitlock Baker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Now with the barriers to entry to publishing information largely eradicated by social media and technology, such alliances may not be as immediately essential.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His killing could become not just a tragedy but a catalyst—an event that radicalizes ever more Americans, less an aberration than a feature of our increasingly perilous national politics.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged Shawn Harris, 38, with capital murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the killing.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mishkin also wasn’t persuaded there were exigent circumstances to warrant shortening the 15-day window.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Overnight humidity recovery should help shorten the burn period and reduce maximum spread distances.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Total job growth was revised lower by the largest amount in history, The revisions erased 911 thousand jobs over the full year period, adding to mounting concerns of a weakening labor market and fueling questions as to the reliability of monthly data being used to gauge employment.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In August, the president announced a deal between the federal government and Nvidia, allowing the American chip producer to sell advanced semiconductors to Chinese buyers in exchange for a 15% cut of the profits.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Finally, profits should be adequately reinvested in the company with the goal to support cash generation in time.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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This one-time purchase grants access to Skylum's full suite of photo-editing tools, available for both Windows and macOS, and is a smart investment for amateur photographers.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Merz, for his part, would like to abolish this daily working limit while still maintaining the 40-hour workweek, allowing working days to become more flexible.—
Alex Ledsom,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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In 2018, China’s legislature abolished presidential term limits in a ceremonial vote, effectively allowing Xi to rule for life.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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