clean up
Britishverb
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to rid (something) of dirt, filth, or other impurities
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to make (someone or something) orderly or presentable
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(tr) to rid (a place) of undesirable people or conditions
the campaign against vice had cleaned up the city
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informal (intr) to make a great profit
noun
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the process of cleaning up or eliminating something
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( as modifier )
a cleanup campaign
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informal a great profit
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Also, clean out . Make clean or orderly, as in She cleaned up the cellar after the flood , or Dad said he cleaned out the garage . [First half of 1800s]
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Also, wash up . Wash or tidy oneself, as in Do I have time to clean up before dinner?
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Settle or dispose of, as in He cleaned up all the bills that had arrived during his vacation .
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Bring to a certain standard of order or morality, as in This script won't do; we'll have to clean up the language . Applied to personal behavior, it also is put as clean up one's act , as in He'll have to clean up his act and obey the rules . [c. 1900]
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Succeed, especially financially, as in We had fantastic luck at the races and really cleaned up . [ Slang ; first half of 1800s]
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Also, clean up on . Defeat or vanquish, kill, as in We're cleaning up all the other teams , or With enough ammunition we could clean up on this pocket of snipers . [ Slang ; mid-1800s]
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.
The Labour government recently proposed giving councils new powers to force fly-tippers to clean up waste they have dumped, and giving the Environment Agency police-style powers to investigate major waste sites.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
However long this cycle lasts for Micron, management is being opportunistic and using the cash flow to clean up the company’s balance sheet.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Also, Rice reportedly underwent surgery recently to clean up his right knee.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
His reason: Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis had to sign off on the all-star game, and he had been appointed to the position in 1920 to clean up baseball’s tarnished image.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
“Whatever. I’m going to call her. I’m going to tell her exactly what I think about her stealing money and leaving us to clean up this mess.”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
