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
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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)
Tyler Faurot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Not only does using the slow-cooker make cleanup a breeze but cooking low and slow creates juicy, tender results that everyone will be talking about.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
His work helps establish when the damage would have occurred, which insurers were on the hook, and the extent of cleanup that would be required.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The monumental cleanup of the Seine, allowing public swimming after a century, may be the most visible symbol of what's possible when a city truly commits to sustainability.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Noun
The cleanup site, a patch of land along Cabrillo Memorial Drive, was a disposal site for construction and demolition rubble between 1955 and 1965.
—Tyler Faurot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Not only does using the slow-cooker make cleanup a breeze but cooking low and slow creates juicy, tender results that everyone will be talking about.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
His work helps establish when the damage would have occurred, which insurers were on the hook, and the extent of cleanup that would be required.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
The monumental cleanup of the Seine, allowing public swimming after a century, may be the most visible symbol of what's possible when a city truly commits to sustainability.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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Last year, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, accusing the parent company of censoring its public statements to support Palestinian refugees and resolutions to end military aid to Israel.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The sanctions imposed against the Iranian regime should encompass all sectors, including the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which continues to censor and suppress artistic freedom.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In that time, the potentially fatal disease has been virtually eradicated among American children.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Although interest in Russian Cosmism was quickly eradicated, the movement has acquired new life in the 21st century.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the days following his killing, conservative activist Charlie Kirk has, in a sense, become all things to all people.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Attorney General Pam Bondi is under scrutiny over her comments about cracking down on certain rhetoric in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk, marking the latest controversy of her own making.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The organizations that master this shift will shorten time-to-market, reduce costs and accelerate innovation cycles.—
John Akkara,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Perhaps the biggest change, though, is that the average length of a game has been shortened by more than a half hour.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Just weeks ago, gas was 10% cheaper than last year; that was erased.—
Matt Randolph,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Kris Mitchell erased Chambers’ records two years later, and Eric Rivers did it again last season.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Like many political advocacy groups, it’s organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit; the IRS does not require such groups to publicly disclose detailed expenditure accounts.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Eras Tour concert movie from filmmaker Sam Wrench made a profit of $172M net, and that was with a $75M streaming deal on Disney+.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The network denied the claims but admitted it was edited due to time constraints.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Iranian authorities must immediately implement a moratorium on all executions and abolish the death penalty.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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The Department of Labor withdrew a plan to establish a minimum wage for workers with disabilities and abolished wage protections for the home-health aides who assist millions of seniors and disabled people.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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