clean out
Britishverb
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to remove (something) (from or away from)
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slang to leave (someone) with no money
gambling had cleaned him out
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informal to exhaust (stocks, goods, etc) completely
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See clean up , def. 1.
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Empty something of its contents, leave bare. For example, The crows cleaned out the whole field of corn , or At the shop's first sale the customers cleaned out the entire stock of shoes . [Mid-1800s]
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Deprive of money or other material resources. This usage originated in gambling, where it signified losing one's last stake. Charles Dickens had it in Oliver Twist (1838): “He has cleaned me out, but I can go and earn some more.” [Early 1800s]
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Drive out by force, as in The new CEO tried to get away with cleaning out all employees over the age of 60 . [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 sky is a brilliant and sharp winter blue as Meadowlark and I finish cleaning out and replacing the bedding in the last chicken coop.
From Literature
The last day of school is pretty loose and they probably wouldn’t even bother to have one except that that’s when you clean out your desk.
From Literature
“It’s safe,” she says, ears high, tail waving, “but some rodents have been here, so there’s cleaning out to do.”
From Literature
Now the sisters have uneasily reunited after their father’s death to clean out the family home before it will be sold.
I wanted it so people who are recording can clean out their vocals and sinuses before they sing.
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.
