as in ending
the last part of a process or action
the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over
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Recent Examples of mop-up
Gardner said the department has since developed a post-fire policy and mop-up procedures after the Mountain fire.
—
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Ware’s absence had Nikola Jovic back in the rotation mix, after he had been limited to four minutes of mop-up duty at the end of Monday night’s blowout loss to the Warriors.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Drivers were encouraged to seek alternate routes as the mop-up and investigation continued on Sunday.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Williams has served as an understudy to both Ward and Beck the last two seasons, but the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Williams has only thrown 19 passes this season in mop-up duty.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
McKee, 25, has taken limited snaps in mop-up duty in three blowout victories this season.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Throughout the season during mop-up work and in practice situations, Milton has felt confident in his abilities.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Dec. 2025
Kuminga was the only active Warriors player not to see any action, even in mop-up duty, when Buddy Hield entered for his first playing time since Thursday in Phoenix.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Ewers, who played in one game this season, completing 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards in mop-up duty of a 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, has a moxie to him that hints there might be something worthy of an investment in there.
—Miami Herald, 17 Dec. 2025
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Ware’s absence had Nikola Jovic back in the rotation mix, after he had been limited to four minutes of mop-up duty at the end of Monday night’s blowout loss to the Warriors.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Drivers were encouraged to seek alternate routes as the mop-up and investigation continued on Sunday.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026
Williams has served as an understudy to both Ward and Beck the last two seasons, but the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Williams has only thrown 19 passes this season in mop-up duty.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
McKee, 25, has taken limited snaps in mop-up duty in three blowout victories this season.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Throughout the season during mop-up work and in practice situations, Milton has felt confident in his abilities.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Dec. 2025
Kuminga was the only active Warriors player not to see any action, even in mop-up duty, when Buddy Hield entered for his first playing time since Thursday in Phoenix.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Ewers, who played in one game this season, completing 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards in mop-up duty of a 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, has a moxie to him that hints there might be something worthy of an investment in there.
—Miami Herald, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mop-up
Noun
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But nothing could have prepared viewers for the movie's ending, as an unfinished screenplay became the stuff of nightmares — literally and figuratively.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
For you, Valentine’s Day may mark an ending.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Of those, 15 have been concluded and 10 are at or near conclusion.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Dearest gentle readers, the time has nearly come for the conclusion of Bridgerton Season 4.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Slow pulsations near the end of the AGB phase lead to ejecta, but these ejecta are rarely visible directly.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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The vote on Tuesday sought to extend previous language that blocked tariff repeal resolutions from getting a vote, which expired at the end of January.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His piece of genius separated the sides entering the 84th minute but during a chaotic finale, the hosts conspired to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Main Event Three teams — Team Fresh, Reality Royalty, and The Menaces — faced off in basketball, soccer penalty kicks, and a high-intensity dodgeball finale inside the famed league arena known for celebrity basketball showdowns.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In many ways, Spoelstra’s words come off as all too familiar to just over a year ago, when the Heat were mired in a 10-game losing streak after the NBA trade deadline that ultimately led to a 10th-place finish and third consecutive play-in berth.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Nothing in the Olympics happens in a vacuum, and Shiffrin’s shocking finish cannot be considered without weighing what happened to her in Beijing four years ago.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Despite parents’ pleas to the group leading the initiative, the special committee on Tuesday did not sign off on any plan to entirely avoid closing campuses.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Saks Global, in its initial round of luxury store closings in bankruptcy, said on Tuesday that eight Saks Fifth Avenue’s stores would also go dark around April.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Hill said the changes to modular housing are the culmination of a 40-year effort.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
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The attorneys went on to argue that Pavlovich’s lawsuits were the culmination of a plan to smear Gaiman and that any legal disputes should be resolved in New Zealand, not the United States.—
Todd Richmond,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mop-up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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