1
: an act or instance of cleaning
The children helped with the cleanup.
2
: an exceptionally large profit
made a cleanup [=killing] when he sold his stocks
: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team
a cleanup hitter
cleanup
adverb
cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up
1
: to make a spectacular profit in a business enterprise or a killing in speculation or gambling
2
: to become free of drug or alcohol addiction
I always cleaned up for tours. … By the end of the tour, I'm perfectly clean and should have stayed sober.—
Keith Richards
Keith RichardsExamples of cleanup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025
The organizers of the cleanup keep close track of what the volunteers find.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2025
Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Further severe weather this week has the potential to complicate cleanup efforts.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The Swiffer Sweep + Mop Deluxe cleaned up both the ketchup and peanut butter quickly and efficiently.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanup
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Noun
He was sent to Europe for the final assault on Nazi Germany and the cleanup for the Battle of the Bulge.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025
The organizers of the cleanup keep close track of what the volunteers find.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Currently, visitors to Maui can assist in restoring and preserving the island’s cultural and archaeological sites with Maui Cultural Lands or participate in cleanup events and invasive species removal with Malama Maui Nui.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
Further severe weather this week has the potential to complicate cleanup efforts.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
The single, which debuted years after the group disbanded, was created largely by both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who used artificial intelligence technology to clean up old recordings made by John Lennon and George Harrison in order to craft something brand new – the group’s final release.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The Swiffer Sweep + Mop Deluxe cleaned up both the ketchup and peanut butter quickly and efficiently.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanup
Cite this Entry
“Cleanup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanup. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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