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.
Under CEO Niccol, Starbucks has tried to refurbish its coffeehouses to make them more welcoming, and has also moved to clean up its online ordering and pickup process.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
You can’t ask him nicely to clean up his mess, man.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
All she does is clean up her husband’s messes.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
Daniel, a team member at Shoppers True Value Hardware, sleeps on the job, leaves food lying around and lets his co-workers clean up after him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
A man in a white apron hurries over to help Babs clean up the mess.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
