1
as in scrubbing
to remove the dirt from
we cleaned the clothes before donating them to charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removing
to take the internal organs out of
cleaned the rabbit before cooking it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cleaning
Tanu Grewal is the chief cleaning officer at Pinalen, Cloralen and Ensueno Laundry.
—
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
For Freshening Bed Linens If your spring cleaning routine involves tackling the bed linens, consider adding lemon juice to this process to keep them fresh.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
The most common danger is getting an infection from not properly cleaning your spa after every use.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
For Freshening Bed Linens If your spring cleaning routine involves tackling the bed linens, consider adding lemon juice to this process to keep them fresh.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
The most common danger is getting an infection from not properly cleaning your spa after every use.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning
Verb
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And the whole hall, baseboards and walls, is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X finish, durable enough for scrubbing with soap or a Magic Eraser.—
Kelley Bruss,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Repairs to the balcony included removing and replacing rotten support beams, according to an invoice from Ameridian.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
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But research from both academics and conservative groups suggests removing undocumented immigrants from the census would shift only a handful of seats — not the sweeping advantage critics claim.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Florida Lottery site states game add-ons include Double Play for $1, a bonus drawing where players could win up to $250,000 using the same numbers (Double Play drawings are held immediately after Florida Lotto drawings).—
Jennifer Sangalang,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
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As did the fact that our professors were clearly having a wonderful time, joining in our creative-writing exercises and drawing lessons with gusto.—
Richard Godwin,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pine-Sol advises wiping your vessel inside and out with a little of the product on a cloth or paper towel and rinsing with water to get them back in shape.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
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Wipe away the residue with a damp microfiber cloth, rinsing it often.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Opening up new mining operations would be in keeping with the founding directive of the Forest Service, which mandates the balance of protecting resources and extracting them.—
Lauren Steele,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
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Their window of opportunity only lasted the weekend — if the scientists didn’t secure the instruments by Monday, an approaching front of bad weather would prevent helicopters from extracting them, effectively stranding them for an indeterminate period of time.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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How to use hypochlorous acid Apply HOCl after cleansing your skin but before serums or moisturizers, Garshick says.—
Erica Sweeney,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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When should makeup remover wipes be used instead of cleansing balms?—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the opportunity to sell Romero arises in the summer, Spurs should seriously consider cutting their losses and reinvesting the money in a more reliable defender.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Local reports said Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The inspector noted rusty shelves in the walk-in cooler, a fly strip directly over a food prep area and an employee washing their hands at the warewashing sink.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
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Someone else wiped his face with his hand and grabbed a bowl of cooked chicken without washing hands.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaning. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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