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
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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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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)
Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 27 Jan. 2025
The recipe only calls for one pot, so in addition to being a hearty side for your party, it’s got minimal cleanup involved.
—Nick Siano, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
On Thursday, Newsom signed a $2.5 billion wildfire recovery and cleanup package hours after its passage by the Legislature.
—Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
The city is expediting debris cleanup and installing concrete barriers in burn areas.
—Karina Tsui, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up) 
Noun
The Fayetteville Recycling and Trash Collection Division will no longer host spring and fall bulky waste cleanup events in each of the city's four wards, according to a news release from the city.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 27 Jan. 2025
The recipe only calls for one pot, so in addition to being a hearty side for your party, it’s got minimal cleanup involved.
—Nick Siano, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
On Thursday, Newsom signed a $2.5 billion wildfire recovery and cleanup package hours after its passage by the Legislature.
—Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025
The city is expediting debris cleanup and installing concrete barriers in burn areas.
—Karina Tsui, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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It was censored to comply with Beijing’s laws, and in 2009, was a major search engine in China with about 36% market share.—
Zen Soo,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2025
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The Communications Act clearly prohibits the Commission from censoring broadcasters and the First Amendment protects journalistic decisions against government intimidation.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Prions behave differently than viruses and bacteria and are virtually impossible to eradicate.—
Jim Robbin,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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However, the longer the marathon, the more the runners’ energy reserves are drained, making reaching the finish line – eradicating cancer, say – increasingly difficult.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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He was charged in the additional killings of 18-year-old Jill Barcomb, 21-year-old Jill Parenteau, 27-year-old Georgia Wixted and 32-year-old Charlotte Lamb after new DNA evidence connected him to the victims.—
Mollie Markowitz,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
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Now investigators in at least three countries, including the United States, are sorting through a rogues’ gallery of players, trying to determine how the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, 53, was carried out on July 7, 2021.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The importance of love, and just seeing each other as human beings and how love can kind of shorten the gap of any divide between people.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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These costs appear to speed up their epigenetic aging, and even shorten their overall lifespans.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Despite that, Djokovic played well enough to erase a deficit and overcome Alcaraz in four sets.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
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President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship threatens to erase the futures of countless children—children whose potential will go untapped, whose contributions to art, science, and justice might never be realized.—
Paola Mendoza,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Show organizers said that profits will be donated to charities, including Cure Parkinson's.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
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Numbers in 2022 included a gross profit of 27.9% and a net profit of 7.6%, according to Kuklock.—
Alex Malm,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
29 Jan. 2025
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Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians.—
Helen L. Murphey / Made by History,
TIME,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The president, however, doesn’t have the authority to abolish the agency by executive order.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
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In 1981, President Reagan went on a crusade to abolish the NEA, with multiple plans to break it apart, ranging from an immediate halt to halving its budget.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
1 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to clean (up)
Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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