mopped up; mopping up; mops up
1
British
: to consume eagerly
2
: to gather as if by absorbing
3
: to overcome decisively : trounce
mopped up their rivals
4
: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive
: to complete a project, transaction, or task
I'm almost done with the project. I just need a little time to mop up.
Examples of mop-up in a Sentence
Noun
the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Dec. 2025
Kuminga was the only active Warriors player not to see any action, even in mop-up duty, when Buddy Hield entered for his first playing time since Thursday in Phoenix.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Top fire commanders soon made plans to finish mopping up the scene and to leave with their equipment, according to text messages obtained by The Times through a state Public Records Act request.
—Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mop-up
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.
Noun
Throughout the season during mop-up work and in practice situations, Milton has felt confident in his abilities.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Dec. 2025
Kuminga was the only active Warriors player not to see any action, even in mop-up duty, when Buddy Hield entered for his first playing time since Thursday in Phoenix.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Verb
Early January is a great time for comedy, since stand-ups often take advantage of the light music-touring schedule to mop up audiences.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Top fire commanders soon made plans to finish mopping up the scene and to leave with their equipment, according to text messages obtained by The Times through a state Public Records Act request.
—Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mop-up
Cite this Entry
“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mop-up. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share