clean house
Idioms-
Wipe out corruption or inefficiency, as in It's time the Republican Party cleaned house . This usage is most often applied to an organization. [ Slang ; c. 1900]
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Punish, give a beating, as in Whenever he was drunk he threatened to clean house on one and all . [ Slang ; c. 1900]
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.
It’s time that AEG clean house and bring in competent executives who know how to build a successful team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
“Sinners” was good enough to score a record number of nominations, but apparently, not good enough to clean house.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2026
Operationally, he has been clear about the need for an internal shake-up at the Fed, and we fully expect he will try to clean house.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
When people feel economically pinched, they often try to clean house.
From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2024
“Nice to come back to a clean house, Marty,” she tells me.
From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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.
