1
as in tidying (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in censoring
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 eradicating
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaning (up)
Verb
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Some users have complained about the hiccups and have also claimed that the app was censoring certain political information.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026 -
Newsom’s press office said on Monday the governor was calling on the California Department of Justice to review whether the application violates state law by censoring content that is unfavorable to Trump.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Washington’s cut to funding for a global vaccine alliance could undo decades of progress in the fight against malaria, just as several African nations approach eradicating the disease.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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The country built some of the world’s most futuristic highways and was early in eradicating malaria.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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ChatGPT's early lead among individual users appears to be shortening as rivals like Google’s Gemini close in on its app and web market share—a shift that could complicate the company’s reported plans to IPO later this year.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko and Corey Perry (empty net) scored for the Kings (22-16-3), who won their third straight game after Monday’s game in Columbus was postponed due to Sunday’s blizzard, shortening their trip from six to five games.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The price of bitcoin plunged more than 10% on Thursday, sinking the world's largest cryptocurrency to its lowest level since October 2024 and erasing sizable gains made since then.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shoppers are picking up essentials early, aiming to avoid last-minute trips if roads become unsafe.—
Nicole Nielsen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Trent Perry is picking up the slack for the UCLA basketball team.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Outdoor Voices, once the toast of the category, faded into restructuring, wiping out its entire social media presence.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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At least 61,000 people living in the Gaza Strip have died in Israel’s subsequent military campaign aimed at wiping out Hamas and recovering the hostages.—
Nancy Tartaglione,
Deadline,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At the firm’s 2025 annual shareholders’ meeting, Levi’s board advised voting against a proposal to consider abolishing its DEI program and goals.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Trump has repeatedly violated laws — for example, by firing hundreds of thousands of civil servants against their statutory protections and abolishing agencies created by Congress.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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But two shootings of US citizens and scenes of unrest in Minnesota are blotting out any hope of that.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cleaning (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaning%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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