1
as in to tidy (up)
to make a place neat and orderly by removing extraneous stuff
you're expected to clean up after you use the workroom
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2
as in to censor
to remove objectionable parts from
cleaned up the rock star's interview before publishing it in the newspaper
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3
as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
hurriedly cleaned up the mess that they had created in the kitchen
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as in killing
an exceptionally large return
The couple made a cleanup when they flipped the house.
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of clean (up)
Graham Hurley, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
The Gowanus Canal is a 1.8-mile-long former industrial transportation route and the site of a $1.5 billion federal environmental cleanup started in 2020.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 15 Nov. 2024
Yet the city of San Diego had to spend its own money on the cleanup itself.
—Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Most trails in the park will be closed during the hunt, but many are already closed as cleanup from tornadoes on May 26 continues.
—Flip Putthoff, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean (up) 
Noun
Just like hiking the Appalachian Trail, volunteers and officials agreed the repairs and cleanup after Helene’s havoc would be a complex journey for the trail’s enormous community.
—Graham Hurley, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
The Gowanus Canal is a 1.8-mile-long former industrial transportation route and the site of a $1.5 billion federal environmental cleanup started in 2020.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 15 Nov. 2024
Yet the city of San Diego had to spend its own money on the cleanup itself.
—Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Most trails in the park will be closed during the hunt, but many are already closed as cleanup from tornadoes on May 26 continues.
—Flip Putthoff, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clean (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clean (up)
Verb
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In a perfect world, there would be some logic to getting rid of the equal-time rule, and, quite frankly, the same FCC regulations that force networks to censor four-letter words that are ubiquitous on virtually every other form of media.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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For Chris Hill, who runs operations for a commercial bathroom remodeling firm in nearby Mechanicsburg, Musk is taking a stand against cosmopolitan elites who want to censor his language and suppress his political views.Eric Cortellessa / Lancaster, TIME, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
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California has spent millions eradicating invasive species like nutria, Atlantic cordgrass and the European green crab.Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
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By eradicating the metal wire, EBY instead opted for a nylon thread, taking over the duty of the wire.Essence, Essence, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Grayson is the only one of the four facing a death sentence since the other teens were under 18 at the time of the killing.CBS News, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024
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That’s the same number of killings that occurred during the entire month of November last year, according to Police Department data.Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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There may be other ways to cut costs rather than shorten the guest list, particularly if your fiance feels his family members might feel slighted if they aren’t invited.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 18 Nov. 2024
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That lead shortened against President Joe Biden in 2020, when Trump won by 1.3 percent.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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And what a loss that would be, erasing the splashes of yellow and orange every fall and silencing the quaking of the leaves.Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2024
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Compared to its March peak of $123, the price has plunged over 85%, erasing over $55 billion in value.Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Adjusted operating profit rose 8 percent to 118.5 million euros.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
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The business has been so successful that this year Gamechanger will pull in $100 million in revenue, at least double what Dick’s Sporting Goods paid for the business in 2016, and add profits to the sporting goods giant’s bottom line.Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2024
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The interview has been edited for length and clarity.Karl Vick, TIME, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The Tesla billionaire spent Thanksgiving with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. MORE: Some ethics experts raise concerns over Musk and Ramaswamy's Department of Government Efficiency roles Earlier this week, Musk proposed abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 29 Nov. 2024
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His transition team is reportedly working on plans to abolish the tax credits and to roll back the more stringent fuel-economy rules that were pushed through by the Biden administration.Tom Krisher, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Clean (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clean%20%28up%29. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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