as in ending
the last part of a process or action
the general announced that the remaining fighting would be only a mop-up to a war that was all but over
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Recent Examples of mop-up
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
Christie, though, struggled badly to start the season and fell out of Redick’s rotation, relegated to late-game mop-up duty in wins over Philadelphia and Toronto before a DNP on Nov. 13 against Memphis.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Fans filed out with more than three minutes remaining, what was left of Golden State’s bench at the scorer’s table ready for mop-up duty.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024
The wing out of Cal has received only mop-up duty to this stage.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
Walker, less than halfway through a four-year, $72 million deal, will be an expensive mop-up man in September.
—Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
The Mets’ two wins came in Game 2, a bullpen game for the Dodgers, and Game 5, when mop-up man Brent Honeywell Jr. threw four innings after Jack Flaherty was tattooed for eight runs.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
After gaining just 25 yards on its first three drives under two-year starter Ashton Daniels, Stanford coach Troy Taylor switched to freshman Elijah Brown, whose only previous experience was in mop-up duty against Cal Poly.
—Harold Gutmann, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
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
Christie, though, struggled badly to start the season and fell out of Redick’s rotation, relegated to late-game mop-up duty in wins over Philadelphia and Toronto before a DNP on Nov. 13 against Memphis.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Fans filed out with more than three minutes remaining, what was left of Golden State’s bench at the scorer’s table ready for mop-up duty.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Dec. 2024
The wing out of Cal has received only mop-up duty to this stage.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024
Walker, less than halfway through a four-year, $72 million deal, will be an expensive mop-up man in September.
—Matt Gelb, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024
The Mets’ two wins came in Game 2, a bullpen game for the Dodgers, and Game 5, when mop-up man Brent Honeywell Jr. threw four innings after Jack Flaherty was tattooed for eight runs.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
After gaining just 25 yards on its first three drives under two-year starter Ashton Daniels, Stanford coach Troy Taylor switched to freshman Elijah Brown, whose only previous experience was in mop-up duty against Cal Poly.
—Harold Gutmann, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mop-up
Noun
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The country singer could easily pull off these looks to blend in with Queen Bey or — possibly — a choir for the track’s ending.—
Danielle Gilliard,
WWD,
2 Feb. 2025
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The ending to this season should align more with the seedings.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Shorts awards are doled out five days before the conclusion of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which continues through Feb. 2 (both in person and online).—
Chris Gardner,
The Hollywood Reporter,
30 Jan. 2025
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Japan and Russia are involved in a territorial conflict over the Northern Territories, a set of islands controlled by Russia after being taken from Japan by the Soviet Union at the conclusion of World War II.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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At the end, after shaking out his ponytail, Haaland scored with his locks long and free, like the old muscular superhero He-Man.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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Louisville will likely hit 16,000 by the end of the year, Butler said.—
Eleanor McCrary,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Maloney made Shelton's final five finalists, was eliminated, and then returned for the finale.—
Daniela Avila,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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Elsewhere in the finale, Ginny showed up as a friend for her ex Marcus, who was struggling with depression, while Georgia and Joe (who had an affair with Cynthia) also came to a place of friendship in their relationship while denying their feelings for each other.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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With its historic plush-like finishes, Buick has gone sporty in most recent years while still confirming comfort and design are at the forefront.—
Marc D Grasso,
Hartford Courant,
25 Jan. 2025
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The finish is refreshing and crisp, with lingering fruity notes.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Here’s a roundup of all of last month’s restaurant openings and closings: Need a break?—
Hadley Hitson,
The Tennessean,
3 Feb. 2025
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Something else that was new in January: the highest-ever closing level for the S&P 500.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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These closing arguments were the culmination of six years of litigation on the key question in the 9/11 case: Does torture matter in the pursuit of justice in the military commissions?—
Lisa Hajjar,
The Conversation,
24 Jan. 2025
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The album was a culmination of years of hard work, intentional growth, and the trust SZA had built with her core fanbase.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near mop-up
Cite this Entry
“Mop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mop-up. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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