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:
Addressing the LAFD’s failure to fully extinguish the Lachman fire, which later reignited into the Palisades fire, Chief Jaime Moore conceded at a January board meeting that mop-up procedures needed to be strengthened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Since they were already there, he figured, some extra mop-up could save them work down the line if the fire were to reignite.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 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
LAFD’s newly confirmed fire chief, Jaime Moore, said he planned to commission an outside investigation into missteps during the mop-up of the Lachman 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
By about 6 p.m., forward progress had been stopped, with crews remaining at the site to mop up, Stewart said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
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
Kuroda didn’t, leaving Ueda to mop up his mess.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
The day of a 2.3- acre brush fire near Janss Road in Thousand Oaks last month, a drone team flew the blaze’s footprint and identified hot spots to help firefighters mop up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
Levi comes back with a roll of paper towels to mop up the mess.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
