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• mop-up
  mop-up

  noun

  the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.
• mop up
  mop up

  verb

  to clean with a mop

mop-up

American  

[mop-uhp] / ˈmɒpˌʌp /

noun

1. the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.

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mop up British  

verb

1. to clean with a mop

2. informal to complete (a task, etc)

3. military to clear (remaining enemy forces) after a battle, as by killing, taking prisoner, etc

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noun

1. the act or an instance of mopping up

mop up Idioms  

1. Clear an area of remaining enemy troops after a victory, as in They left behind just one squadron to mop up . [c. 1900]

2. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of mop-up

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase mop up

Example Sentences

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

Now, the plaintiff lawyers are alleging a state park official who arrived at the scene of the fire on Jan. 1 “directly interfered with LAFD’s mop up operations.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

He ate it all, and used his slice of white bread to mop up the juice.

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• clinch
• close
• complete
• conclude
• do
• end
• make
• play out
• settle
• stop
• wind up
• wrap up