cleaning

American

[klee-ning] / ˈkli nɪŋ /

noun

an act or instance of making clean.

Give the house a good cleaning.
Slang. an overwhelming or complete defeat, financial loss, or failure.

Our team took a cleaning in yesterday's game.
Informal. killing.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

self-cleaning

adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

cleanings

plural

Etymology

Origin of cleaning

First recorded in 1655–75; clean + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cleaning cleanings

The company makes it clear that the cleaning service is priced with data collection in mind, providing customers with an inexpensive cleaning in exchange for using their home as a training ground.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

“There’s no way that they are thoroughly cleaning each and every seat.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

We have been cleaning and studying this material ever since.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Hynes also gives examples of changes on the recently nationalised Thameslink; investment in better cleaning, improving toilets and replacing unpopular upright "ironing-board" seats.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Mrs. Tilbury’s cleaning the table next to ours.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Decide what kind of coverage suits you: Some plans cover accidents and illnesses, while wellness coverage may help pay for routine care such as checkups, dental cleanings and vaccines.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The toothbrush camera targets interdental cleaning, helping your teeth stay in pristine condition between dentist-office cleanings.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

While the researchers say it won’t replace traditional dental cleaning, it could be used along with such cleanings to keep gum-disease inflammation at bay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

In addition to toothpaste, researchers and the PerioTrap team have developed a gel used after professional dental cleanings to block harmful bacteria, support a healthy microbiome, and maintain gum health.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 13, 2026

Instead of counting on a clean reaction, I'll do frequent "hydrogen cleanings" with a small flame.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023