mop-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈmäp-ˌəp 

often attributive

: a concluding action or phase

mop up

2 of 2

verb

mopped up; mopping up; mops up

transitive verb

1

British : to consume eagerly

2

: to gather as if by absorbing

also : garner

mopped up all the awards

3

: to overcome decisively : trounce

4

: to clear (an area) of remaining pockets of resistance in the wake of a military offensive

intransitive verb

: to complete a project, transaction, or task

Synonyms

Noun

• capper
• close
• closing
• conclusion
• consummation
• end
• endgame
• ending
• finale
• finis
• finish
• grand finale
• homestretch
• windup
• wrap-up

Examples of mop-up in a Sentence

Noun

the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Springer went 4-for-5 and 1-for-1 from three in his nine minutes of mop-up duty, scoring 10 points and making another case for additional playing time. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2025

Jackson has played 45 NFL head coaches in full games (excluding some mop-up duty as a rookie). —Mike Defabo, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

Verb

The Italian’s positional switch has had a dramatic effect, with his ability to mop up danger ensuring Newcastle have been far more difficult to play through, depriving the opposition of shooting opportunities. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025

With the fire stopped and crews mopping up, all evacuations were lifted by late afternoon. —Paul Sisson, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1