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.
The government said it had "taken action" to clean up rivers, lakes and seas.
From BBC
Sometimes we need people with courage to clean up the mess that exist.
From Los Angeles Times
The hack itself refers to meals that are prepared with minimal effort, minimal clean up and convenient ingredients that are often readily available in one’s refrigerator and pantry.
From Salon
In the capital Bangkok, the People's Party cleaned up this year, taking every seat – an improvement on their 2023 performance.
From BBC
They added that the "small minority" of dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs should "consider the serious impact their actions can have on other members of the public".
From BBC
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.
