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• mop-up
  mop-up

  noun

  the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.
• mop up
  mop up

  verb

  to clean with a mop

mop-up

American  

[mop-uhp] / ˈmɒpˌʌp /

noun

1. the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.

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mop up British  

verb

1. to clean with a mop

2. informal to complete (a task, etc)

3. military to clear (remaining enemy forces) after a battle, as by killing, taking prisoner, etc

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noun

1. the act or an instance of mopping up

mop up Idioms  

1. Clear an area of remaining enemy troops after a victory, as in They left behind just one squadron to mop up . [c. 1900]

2. Perform the minor tasks that conclude a project or activity, as in Go ahead, I'll mop up these last invoices . [First half of 1900s] Both usages transfer the task of housecleaning with a mop to other kinds of cleanup.

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Etymology

Origin of mop-up

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase mop up

Example Sentences

Mop up condensation in the bathroom and on the outer surface of cold pipes and the inside of windows.

From Washington Post • Jul. 2, 2021

Mop up can last for days after the last active flame along the control line has been extinguished.

From National Geographic • Aug. 20, 2015

Mop up as you go down floor by floor.

From Secret Armies The New Technique of Nazi Warfare by Spivak, John L.

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• clinch
• close
• complete
• conclude
• do
• end
• make
• play out
• settle
• stop
• wind up
• wrap up