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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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)
Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 May 2025
Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2025
Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill This propane grill is equipped to handle all your barbecues with cast iron cooking grates, a removable grease tray for easy cleanup, side table, and side burner to cook side dishes simultaneously.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 24 May 2025
When the party is over, just throw this iced tea pitcher in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied North Carolina's request for the agency to match 100% of the state funds for Helene cleanup, according to a letter sent from the acting FEMA administrator to the governor of North Carolina.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 28 May 2025
Scott, a former two-term governor of the Sunshine State and no stranger to working with the agency while battling major hurricanes, characterized FEMA as rife with fraud that does little more than write checks for post-disaster cleanup.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2025
Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill This propane grill is equipped to handle all your barbecues with cast iron cooking grates, a removable grease tray for easy cleanup, side table, and side burner to cook side dishes simultaneously.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 24 May 2025
When the party is over, just throw this iced tea pitcher in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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The administration also took away the money Dr Hall needed to continue his UPF research, censored his media access, and incorrectly edited his response to a NY Times inquiry.—
Marianne Krasny,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Revolutionary fervor and strict moral codes reshaped film, censoring depictions of gender, modern lifestyles, and social realities.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Princess Eugenie is also the founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, which endeavors to eradicate modern slavery, and helped establish Key to Freedom, a social enterprise initiative facilitating a route to market for products made by survivors of trafficking at Women’s Interlink Foundation.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
22 May 2025
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Yeast overgrowth can often be eradicated with one dose of an oral tablet called fluconazole (Diflucan).—
Cheyenne Buckingham,
SELF,
13 May 2025
Noun
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News of the killings shook the small southern Oklahoma community, KOCO reported at the time.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2025
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The fatal attack was part of a wave of racially motivated killings during that era in the United States, especially in the south.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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The jacket sleeves were shortened along with her trousers, leaving a well-deserved moment for Jackson’s statement combat boots.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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Paper gowns could be easily shortened to miniskirt length to wear as a reception or getaway dress.—
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2025
Verb
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So, this should lower those percentage gaps in time, if not erase them.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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The voices and contributions of women and people of color were overlooked and erased through much of America’s military history.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The problem is that many businesses want to see a profit on the first transaction.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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The news came even as the company has cut its sales and profit forecasts.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Verb
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This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
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By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner Last week a quartet of British climbers made it to the top of Mount Everest—and spent less than a week on the total round trip from London.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The initiative has its critics, who fear that abolishing property taxes would leave local governments without sufficient funds to support crucial public services.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
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The latter is known for his misogynistic statements, and has promised to follow through on Mr. Yoon’s commitment to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family.—
Yejin Gim,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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