cleanlier; cleanliest
1
: careful to keep clean : fastidious
2
: habitually kept clean
Examples of cleanly in a Sentence
Adverb
A sharp knife will cut through the skin of a tomato cleanly.
This fuel burns more cleanly than other fuels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Starting at the wider end (where the air pocket is), peel the egg under the water to help remove the shell cleanly.
—Sarah Jampel, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Whoever wins cleanly leaves with both the championship belts.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
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Adverb
All Michigan punter Blake O’Neill had to do was field the snap cleanly and get off the punt.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Starting at the wider end (where the air pocket is), peel the egg under the water to help remove the shell cleanly.
—Sarah Jampel, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
In other words, historical comparables suggest that Sherwood’s trade value probably isn’t cleanly at the level of him returning a first-round pick to Vancouver if he’s ultimately traded between now and March 6.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Whoever wins cleanly leaves with both the championship belts.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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