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

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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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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
All three groups have been told their work is pointless, and that something as simple as a beach cleanup will not fix the overall challenges. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 One of the unofficial rules of prestige television is that the penultimate episode is for the mess and the finale is for the cleanup. — Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026 Work was continuing around the clock to accelerate the cleanup, reduce odors, protect public health and provide direct assistance to impacted residents, according to the company. — City News Service, Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 The air district’s order requires Lineage to establish a public notification system to update residents on the cleanup’s progress and activities that could result in an increase in odors. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 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
  • Broadcast stations do have some authority to censor political ads.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • When that ability gets constrained, when communication feels censored, when speed is prized over rigor, when ambiguity gets exploited instead of clarified, the meaning of the work itself starts to erode.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of censor
Verb
  • Tlaib is also a prominent critic of Israel; her rhetoric has been chastised by Jewish colleagues as an antisemitic call for eradicating Jews, a charge the congresswoman and her supporters reject.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980 and no longer naturally circulates, was once one of the world's deadliest diseases.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Noun
  • Tran’s killing followed two other fatal shootings of Vietnamese-American men with ties to local restaurants, according to San Jose Police and CNN affiliate KGO-TV.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Keyan Rundell, 17, of DeLand, was arrested Wednesday in the July 28 killing of Dustin Rose, 19, and Samson Campbell, 18.
    — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing
Verb
  • Amazon's recent decision to shorten server depreciation periods underscores the risk of rapid hardware aging.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Faster integration can shorten the path from production lines to operational inventories.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shorten
Verb
  • The Cubs offense quickly erased the 1-0 deficit behind four consecutive hitters reaching with two outs in the top of the second.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Reading scores of New York City public school students plummeted this past school year, erasing improvements in the subject recorded a year before, sparking calls from the teachers’ union for a change in approach.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Noun
  • Two losing bets would have evaporated the remainder of the season’s profits and brought the home run bets into the red.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When the lottery was proposed, advocates promised profits would go to aid education.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of profit
Verb
  • Instead of wiping firmware, an adversary nudges a setpoint, edits a protection parameter, distorts a sensor feed—or shows the operator a calm screen while the equipment tears itself apart.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The film was shot in Los Angeles at locations throughout the city and features music by Isaac Middleton, costume design by Jennifer DeRosa, editing by Amir Mosallaie, production design by Charles LaGola, and cinematography by Luke Dyra.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of edit
Verb
  • Some members sought to amend the resolution to call for reforming ICE rather than abolishing it.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hong branded herself as a fighter for the working class, advocated for universal childcare and called to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish

Browse Nearby Words

cleans up one's act
clean (up)
cleanup
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Cite this Entry

“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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