cleaning

American  

[klee-ning] / ˈkli nɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of making clean.

   Give the house a good cleaning.

2. Slang. an overwhelming or complete defeat, financial loss, or failure.

   Our team took a cleaning in yesterday's game.

3. Informal. killing.

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Other Word Forms

• self-cleaning adjective

Etymology

Origin of cleaning

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

Example Sentences

Workers at Catalyst Refiners Inc. in Institute, W.Va., were cleaning and decontaminating a metal processing site—in preparation for closing it down—when a chemical reaction created dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas around 9:30 a.m.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

“A lot of the stragglers have done a good job cleaning up their act,” says Ed Al-Hussainy, global rates strategist at Columbia Threadneedle Investments.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

"This government is committed restoring nature and cleaning up our rivers," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Nazarian said the property owner will be billed for clearing and cleaning the lot.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

I also worked in the antiques shop, cleaning and dusting things like the sets of beautiful Russian glasses that sat on the shelf.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing