housecleaning

American  

[haus-klee-ning] / ˈhaʊsˌkli nɪŋ /

noun

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

housecleaning

To that end, the tax code is overdue for a good housecleaning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

While preparing for the country’s planned celebration of its 250th birthday, Trump decided to do a little housecleaning and update the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, vowing to make it better than ever.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

But even after a new album — the band’s 12th — was released in April, concert sales lagged, leading to the cancellations and a housecleaning behind the scenes.

From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024

Irregular labor like yard work or housecleaning is their only way of making a living.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2024

Fifteen years later I found myself working for a housecleaning company.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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