cleans (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of clean (up)
1
as in cleans house
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in censors
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 erases
to destroy all traces of hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleans (up)
  1. censors
  2. erases
  3. shortens
  4. eradicates
  5. abolishes
  6. wipes out
  7. destroys
Verb
  • Shame on any educational institution that censors speech condemning it.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
  • In 2019, the state passed a law that censors me from saying certain things to my clients.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
Definition of censors
Verb
  • To be sure, charitable bequests are also fully deductible against the estate tax, which means the destination (charity) is what erases Buffett’s tax liability.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • His best friend, Jacob Batalan’s Ned, and his girlfriend, Zendaya’s MJ, have been right by his side through most of the movie; at the end, a mystical spell erases their memory of him, ostensibly forever.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 July 2026
Definition of erases
Verb
  • And choosing a washer with a higher spin speed (up to about 1,000 RPM) removes more water before drying, which shortens air-dry time significantly.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
  • If Medicare shortens the period before price controls apply, that calculation changes.
    — Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shortens
Verb
  • But that also eradicates a crucial option - to mount a show trial and scapegoat him for all the ills of his rule, thus absolving others.
    — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Treating the underlying condition eradicates the need for drug treatments that act globally.
    — Dr. Patricia Richard, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of eradicates
Verb
  • The Schengen Area is an agreement between 29 European countries that abolishes passport controls and allows people to travel across European borders without providing documents.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Attorney Monica Restanio, whose arguments in court for the Venezuelan family were responsible for winning the ruling that abolishes the minor issue, said she was thrilled.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
Definition of abolishes
Verb
  • This major markdown wipes out the steep premiums on most high-tier gaming displays, allowing e-sports players and media creators to rise through the ranks with a highly fluid, ultra-clear panoramic canvas.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • Continue reading … LINES REDRAWN — Supreme Court greenlights Alabama GOP map that wipes out a majority-Black district.
    — , FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Definition of wipes out
Verb
  • T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroys
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.

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All