housecleaning

American  

[hous-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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

housecleaning

With the backing of health insurance companies, the Pals provide companionship, transportation, housecleaning services and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

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

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

She dulled the agony somewhat by plunging into housecleaning for Nonnie.

From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson