1
as in cleans house
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in censors
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 erases
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 cleans (up)
Verb
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In 2019, the state passed a law that censors me from saying certain things to my clients.—
Megan Schrader,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some see an opportunity for more informed conversations Whether or not the city ultimately erases Chavez's name from public spaces, some think this is an opportunity to highlight other pivotal labor leaders – including Filipino organizer Larry Itliong.—
Kerry Klein,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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That prescription erases one-quarter of the shortfalls and saves $190 billion over the next decade.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Your jaw tightens, your heart races, your breathing shortens.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
25 Mar. 2026
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The change significantly shortens the timeframe for filing claims — meaning passengers must act quickly after arriving at their destination.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This method completely eradicates weeds on contact without any toxic chemicals.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead, this measure abolishes them.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
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The Iranian parliament has just approved a law that abolishes prison sentences for those who had to leave Iran illegally.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist and a former Google executive, has warned in the past that there is a 10% to 20% chance that AI wipes out humans.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
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That timeline could shrink if a massive fraud wipes out public confidence in the Internet.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rototilling also destroys earthworms and the critical beneficial microbes that interact with plant roots to keep them healthy.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Because scarring alopecia destroys the hair follicles, the resulting hair loss is permanent.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Cleans (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleans%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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