clean (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of clean (up)next
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cleanup

2 of 2

noun

as in killing
an exceptionally large return The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clean (up)
Noun
Tyler has defended its work throughout, noting the various county offices proposed evolving requirements and had fragmented data that required significant cleanup. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Our inspection and cleanup requirements included the auditoriums, seating areas and concession areas. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 When the cleanup began, AI writing was often betrayed by conspicuous clichés. — Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2026 Some environmental groups agree tribes should have a greater say, yet support the project because it’s pitched as a major cleanup effort. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
  1. censor
  2. eradicate
  3. killing
  4. shorten
  5. erase
  6. profit
  7. edit
  8. abolish
Verb
  • The film came out highly censored in 1971, and only recently had its most salacious bits recovered from the archives and restored to their fleshy glory.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But on the television broadcast that aired on Saturday, Antonia’s T-shirt had been censored, appearing to be all white.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of censor
Verb
  • Through hidden fees and poor service, traditional banks have alienated many customers, while online banking and ATMs have eradicated differences between banks.
    — Jeffrey I. Cole, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Burnham has also made pledges about reducing, and even eradicating, homelessness, improving care for the elderly and meeting NATO targets on defense spending.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Noun
  • Victor Romero, 62, is facing charges relating to the killing of Con Edison worker Koran Irvine, 46, on the bridge Tuesday evening.
    — Kelsie Cairns , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Kaylub Giamanco, who ran into an elementary school to stop a mass killing, gave his first interview to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
    — Casey Parks, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • This position causes the moonlight to pass through a denser layer of air, shortening blue and violet wavelengths and making the orange and red ones stand out — similar to a sunset.
    — Dharma Niles, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • With many drivers conserving fuel to shorten their first green-flag pit stop, Buescher, Preece and Keselowski broke from the pack with laps that were 10 seconds faster.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of shorten
Verb
  • With an over 2% gain Thursday, Johnson & Johnson has erased all of its post-earnings sell-off.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Keep in mind that removing a search result does not erase the information from the original website.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of erase
Noun
  • Lam Research, whose equipment and services help make semiconductors, reported gains in profit and revenue for the summer that were slightly stronger than analysts expected, for example.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Though the company is still throwing off bundles of cash, the profits aren’t good enough for a ravenous Wall Street, and the blood of 1,000 staff has been let as Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters attempt to change the record.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of profit
Verb
  • Meta says users can inspect and edit information stored in the agent's memory.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Sebastian Ganschow and Bernd Fischer handled cinematography, with editing by Antje Lass, Zenon Kristen and Grete Jentzen.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of edit
Verb
  • Both Weir and Khan have expressed their wishes for the reinstatement of tax-free shopping (abolished in 2021) for overseas visitors — a proposal that was met with cheers at the BFC’s fashion week breakfast this year.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Daylight saving time was repealed after World War I and then brought back in World War II in 1942, only to be abolished again three years later.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of abolish

Browse Nearby Words

cleans up one's act
clean (up)
cleanup
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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