housecleaning

American  

[hous-klee-ning] / ˈhaʊsˌkli nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of cleaning cleaning a house, room, etc., and its furnishings, especially the act of cleaning cleaning thoroughly and completely.

2. the act of improving or reforming by weeding out excess or corrupt personnel or of revising methods of operation.

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Etymology

Origin of housecleaning

First recorded in 1860–65; house + cleaning

Example Sentences

Bowman has slashed staff and pursued what many inside and outside the central bank view as a housecleaning of the supervision and regulation division’s senior leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Spending time with such a character inspired Wenders to do a little housecleaning.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2023

Variously voiced tales ranging from a shocking deathbed confession, a macabre housecleaning service, a half-haunted house and an interstellar thrill ride will engage even jaded listeners.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2023

The housecleaning could delay processing the income statements because the financial team had been reshuffled, the source said, adding "with some firings, rediscovering the past gets even more complicated."

From Reuters • Jun. 22, 2023

The fact that there might be money hidden convinced me beyond a doubt that the Ladies’ Society must not take over the housecleaning.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson