clean out

phrasal verb

cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out

1

: to remove unwanted things from (a room, closet, etc.)

We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.

2

informal : to steal or take everything from (someone or something)

The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.

3

informal : to use up all or most of the money of (someone)

Buying the house really cleaned us out. Now we're broke.

Examples of clean out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Benefits Of Swedish Death Cleaning Sure, thinking about cleaning out your stuff to ease your family for your passing is a saddening thought, but there are several benefits to note. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025

While Janice avoids even visiting Eric in prison, she is torn between cleaning out his room and grappling with the role of faith and religion. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2025

Keep reading to discover how to finally clean out the clutter, reorganize your junk drawer, and keep it that way year-round. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile in Philly, as Hurts and his teammates cleaned out their lockers, the quarterback recalled his time with Moore and offered his thoughts on playing for what will be his sixth play-caller in six seasons. —Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for clean out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout