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.
An incinerator scheme to help clean up the ecological catastrophe turned out to be a vast multi-million-dollar scam that included a "ghost" incinerator for the capital Tirana that was never built.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Colin Porter who has been assisting the clean up in South Tyneside said: "We are very concerned about the wildlife populations, we've seen birds eating them and we know the fish have too."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Last year, India’s election authority embarked on a sweeping program to clean up voter lists across the country, arguing the move was required to preserve electoral integrity by, for instance, removing fraudulent or deceased voters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The thing is, I carry bags with me and clean up after Philly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Mrs. Rouse made me help Darren clean up his desk, and then she told me she’d let me know when she’d decided on an appropriate punishment for me.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
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