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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
Missing California mom’s family digs for homicide ‘cover-up or cleanup’ as police eye persons of interest.
—Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Garrett took over for Tylor Megill with two men on and cleanup hitter Andrés Giménez at the plate.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Nearly two weeks after multiple tornadoes hit Gary, the city’s council unanimously approved a resolution to continue an executive order focused on storm cleanup.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The Jefferson County Board of Health ordered the immediate testing and cleanup of the property along with the removal of tenants March 18.
—Max Levy, Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2025
Missing California mom’s family digs for homicide ‘cover-up or cleanup’ as police eye persons of interest.
—Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Garrett took over for Tylor Megill with two men on and cleanup hitter Andrés Giménez at the plate.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Nearly two weeks after multiple tornadoes hit Gary, the city’s council unanimously approved a resolution to continue an executive order focused on storm cleanup.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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The government cannot censor speech that is false but does not lead to a specific, identifiable harm.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2025
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For all its bravado about withstanding the American tariffs, China was also censoring criticisms of its own move to impose retaliatory tariffs.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Despite this success, these drugs do not completely eradicate the chronic lung infections that plague individuals with cystic fibrosis.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2025
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Measles, once eradicated, is again spreading in New Mexico and West Texas and even in our own area, where vaccine skepticism has long had a foothold in some parts of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community.—
New York Daily News,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The attack sparked outrage on social media, with politicians from the north condemning the killings.—
Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
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The Homicide Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing, police said.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Ward shortened his drop and threw a strike in the small sliver of space just before the hash mark.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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On March 7, a UK judge shortened the sentence of the group’s founder, Roger Hallam, for disrupting a traffic event after an appeal.—
Angelica Villa,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Right behind was Rory McIlroy, who tried to erase from his memory that sloppy finish in the first round and roared into contention to put the career Grand Slam back into view.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
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Barnes left the game with the Raptors up by nine, and the Magic needed seven more minutes to erase the deficit.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Instead, those companies are more likely to focus services on areas with more people, more places and more profit.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
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For 18 months, every discussion about Newcastle United’s transfer strategy has necessitated mention of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 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.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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France belatedly abolished slavery in 1848 in its remaining colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion and French Guyana, which are still territories of France today.—
Marlene L. Daut,
The Conversation,
16 Apr. 2025
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The Legislature eliminated parole for nearly everyone imprisoned for crimes committed after Aug. 1, making Louisiana the 17th state in a half-century to abolish parole altogether and the first in 24 years to do so.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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