cleaning

American

[klee-ning] / ˈkli nɪŋ /

noun

an act or instance of making clean.

Give the house a good cleaning.
Slang. an overwhelming or complete defeat, financial loss, or failure.

Our team took a cleaning in yesterday's game.
Informal. killing.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

self-cleaning

adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

cleanings

plural

Etymology

Origin of cleaning

First recorded in 1655–75; clean + -ing ¹

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.

With Wembanyama on the floor, the Spurs allow 12.3 fewer points per 100 possessions than when he’s on the bench, according to the stats website Cleaning The Glass.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Cleaning becomes less of a chore and more of a small, sensory pleasure—something I don’t mind returning to, night after night.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Cleaning air filters removes dust, pet hair and germs, and — the best part — replacing them is inexpensive and easy.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

The Cleaning Lady producer Warner Bros Television and Fox said that they were aware of the charges against Busfield and would work with law enforcement.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Cleaning a mess was easier than fixing a bad mood.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023