mop-up
noun
the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.
mop-up
American
[mop-uhp]
/ ˈmɒpˌʌp /
noun
mop up
British
verb
-
to clean with a mop
-
informal to complete (a task, etc)
-
military to clear (remaining enemy forces) after a battle, as by killing, taking prisoner, etc
noun
mop up
Idioms
-
Clear an area of remaining enemy troops after a victory, as in They left behind just one squadron to mop up . [c. 1900]
-
Perform the minor tasks that conclude a project or activity, as in Go ahead, I'll mop up these last invoices . [First half of 1900s] Both usages transfer the task of housecleaning with a mop to other kinds of cleanup.
Etymology
Origin of mop-up
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase mop up
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.
See Examples For:
Fire crews were ordered to roll up their hoses, despite complaints that a more thorough mop-up was needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
A firefighter picking up hoses on Jan. 2 found crackling, red-hot coals in the dirt and warned colleagues that a more thorough mop-up was needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026
Moore also described his efforts to look into missteps made during the mop-up of the Lachman fire, which rekindled days later into the devastating Palisades fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said the department is creating a post-fire policy and mop-up procedures in the wake of the Mountain fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
"They fought magnificently, but didn't mop-up as they went along," explained the General.
From Pushed and the Return Push by George Herbert Fosdike Nichols
Now, the roughly half a million barrels a day of Venezuelan crude that China used to mop up will likely be diverted to U.S. refineries along the Gulf Coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
It opened the way for Tongue and Carse to mop up the tail.
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2025
Kuroda didn’t, leaving Ueda to mop up his mess.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
“Some resources will be released as the mop up operation continues,” it added, “to ensure no flare ups.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2025
The feed was trying to mop up my headache.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
