clean 1 of 3

adjective

ˈklēn How to pronounce clean (audio)
Definition of cleannext
1
as in spotless
free from dirt or stain although the soccer team always starts out with clean uniforms, they don't stay that way for long

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2
as in legal
following or according to the rules a clean check from the other hockey player

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3
as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent only clean songs will be permitted for the performances on the last night of summer camp

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4
as in thorough
trying all possibilities police made a clean sweep of the area before the governor's arrival

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5
as in simple
having no exceptions or restrictions the clean joy of running that young children experience

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6
as in devoid
lacking contents that could or should be present the ship returned with a clean hold

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clean

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to wipe
to remove the dirt from we cleaned the clothes before donating them to charity

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2
as in to remove
to take the internal organs out of cleaned the rabbit before cooking it

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clean

3 of 3

adverb

1
as in legally
according to the rules or the law a boxer who doesn't fight clean

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2
as in completely
to a full extent or degree the thief got clean away

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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
Adjective
Unstructured Data Exposes Process Weaknesses AI performs exceptionally well when information is clean, structured and consistent. — Jayasri Ranganathan, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Users didn’t always ask clean questions, and the underlying systems were not yet good enough to infer intent reliably at scale. — Alan Bradley, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
Using the wrong type of cleaning product for your tub’s material can result in scratches, discoloration, or chips. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 The sets are oven-safe, induction-compatible and easy to clean. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Adverb
Before things kicked off, a chant devoted to keeping the earth clean echoed at the beach. — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026 That's especially proven in season 2, when — after coming clean to her team about holding Sir captive — Gabi's closest allies turn their backs on her. — Dave Quinn, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for clean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean
  1. pristine
  2. legal
  3. pure
  4. thorough
  5. simple
  6. devoid
  7. wipe
  8. remove
Adjective
  • The pristine green fields of the Little Haiti Soccer Park, for example, got to 121 degrees, even after an afternoon storm.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sandwiched between two Porsches is a Ferrari Testarossa—pristine inside and out—wearing black paint with a red interior.
    — Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pristine
Adjective
  • Investigators were able to trace the gun to a legal purchase in Keene, New Hampshire, made by one of the straw purchasers of the scheme, according to the detention memo.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Features like autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithmic content recommendations have been the prime targets of legal arguments that social media platforms are designed to be addictive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of legal
Adjective
  • The interactions between Bourdain and Ciro are pure movie magic and that’s due partly to the performances — both actors have to be in the Oscar race — as well as to the screenplay by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Unauthorized sequels reveal the extremes of why people make movies in the first place, from purely cynical money grabs to pure — even naive — devotion to characters and their world.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • The most thorough study of day trading, following every trader in Taiwan for fifteen years, found that the large majority lose money and fewer than one in a hundred make a reliable profit after costs.
    — Daniel Schlaepfer, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Following last year’s automatic reactor shutdowns, EDF conducted a thorough safety review alongside the World Association of Nuclear Operators.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorough
Adjective
  • The task seemed like a simple one for a digital agent, as the booking form was online.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Mungiu refuses to supply easy answers or simple paths to identification in this compelling provocation, which poses unresolvable questions to viewers about our biases and presumptions.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • In a show mostly devoid of explicit messages, the sentiment surprised me.
    — Max Norman, New Yorker, 25 June 2026
  • Players take on the role of a Ditto capable of mimicking its human trainer, and the Pokémon is thrown into a world devoid of humans.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
Definition of devoid
Verb
  • My school would always provide some things, but not a lot and not very quality (those thin cardboardish tissues… some kids will just wipe noses on their shirts before using them).
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Once the bugs are gone, gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and a drop of mild dish soap.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of wipe
Verb
  • Kisunla is designed to help slow the progression of early symptomatic Alzheimer's by targeting the brain to break up and remove amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of the disease.
    — Lauren Pastrana, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Company executives believe bringing fuel directly to fleet yards could remove that barrier.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of remove

Phrases Containing clean

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clays
clean
clean bill of health
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Cite this Entry

“Clean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clean

Nglish: Translation of clean for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clean

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