clean (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of clean (up)next
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cleanup

2 of 2

noun

as in killing
an exceptionally large return The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clean (up)
Noun
The Board of Commissioners is expected to come out with a statement in the coming days on the cleanup plan. — Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026 Boeing is our way to get some defense exposure, but our main reason for owning it is for the cleanup of its commercial plane business. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 In each case, the full scope of the public health risks didn't emerge until people started moving back in and cleanup got underway. — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Mahajan had participated in the cleanup efforts the day before. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
  1. censor
  2. eradicate
  3. killing
  4. shorten
  5. erase
  6. profit
  7. edit
  8. abolish
Verb
  • His work frequently censored by the Israeli government, Mansour developed a vocabulary of symbols that today functions as a language of resistance.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The crackdown remains a political taboo on the mainland, where authorities tightly censor discussion and prohibit public commemorations.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of censor
Verb
  • For decades, deer had populated Santa Rosa Island, but they were eradicated from the island at the end of 2011 to restore its native ecosystem and protect its natural vegetation.
    — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Within a year of its onset, the economic depression practically eradicated the need to mint any new coinage for months.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Noun
  • Citizen, published two months after Brown’s killing, seemed to channel that righteous fury.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The man a Wyandotte County deputy is charged with killing may have died not by homicide, but rather pre-existing illness, a medical expert testified in court Wednesday.
    — Sofi Zeman August 26, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • That could reduce development costs and shorten the path toward manufacturing.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The artist formerly known as Miley Cyrus appears to have changed her name, or just shortened it, to herald a new professional chapter.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of shorten
Verb
  • But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The 68-year-old also lost her husband and her son, who worked at a local hydropower plant, in the flash floods that hit the region on Wednesday, erasing entire communities.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Noun
  • The answer is that the creditor gets to keep the $15,000 as pure profit.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Elwood’s father was an Episcopal pastor, and his mother worked for non-profits, including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of profit
Verb
  • It was edited by Kelsey Snell, Tinbete Ermyas, and Christopher Intagliata.
    — August 28, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This episode of Galaxy Brain was produced by Hadley Robinson, video edited by Denny Thomas and engineered by Miguel Carrascal.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of edit
Verb
  • This July, the EU enacted one of their demands, abolishing the customs duty exemption below €150 and introducing a temporary €3 duty per item.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Others, like abolishing the Senate and Supreme Court, are more controversial and used by Republicans to hammer DSA candidates as out of step with the American mainstream.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of abolish

Browse Nearby Words

cleans up one's act
clean (up)
cleanup
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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