mop-up

1 of 2

noun

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

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
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.
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
They were never intended to be frontline fighters, concentrating more on evacuation and mopping up fires that were already mostly out. Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025 Wise and her then-fiancé shut off the water to the sink, mopped up the floor and cabinet and called a plumber to fix the leak. Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mop-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mop-up was circa 1811

Browse Nearby Entries

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Cite this Entry

“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mop-up. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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