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
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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
-
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
-
But a 4-6-3 double play erases the threat.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The irony being that, according to Over The Cap, Hendrickson’s signing erases a 2027 comp pick that would have gone to the Ravens and sends one to Cincinnati.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The urgency has grown as his career runway shortens.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The new plan shortens the time between missions and redraws the map of which launches will achieve various program milestones.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The path to health involves aggressive treatment that eradicates the disease.—
Pedro A. Rojas Arroyo,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, this measure abolishes them.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
-
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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However, the harsh radiation inside such nebulae normally destroys fragile compounds, making the survival of volatile ice extremely unlikely.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Brown destroys man coverage, threatens all three levels of the field and can rack up yards after the catch.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 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 17 Mar. 2026.
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