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.
He ended up both spying on G42 and also helping the U.A.E. clean up the troubling issues he discovered, according to accounts of his activities provided to The Wall Street Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
But it added that its subsidiary alongside its government partner worked to clean up spills from its facilities "regardless of the cause".
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“For example, after cleaning a window, I’ll let the paper towel dry and save it under the sink. Later, I use it to clean up muddy messes or pet accidents.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
By Sunday, local volunteers had taken to the beach to help clean up the remnants of the night before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
The moment Auntie North returned downstairs to clean up the living room, Danny looked down at his clothes and felt embarrassed.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
