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

To prune as a multi-stemmed shrub, select four or five main trunks and clean out the center, removing most of the twiggy inner side branches, cutting them back to a main branch. —Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2025

The channel has over 1 million subscribers, and James regularly posts videos of himself cleaning out and detailing used cars. —Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Their players are scheduled Sunday to clean out their lockers. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025

The 24-year-old was at The Star on Monday as players took part in a final team meeting and cleaned out their lockers. —Jon MacHota, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025