mopping-up
Americanadjective
-
serving to complete or put the finishing touches to a phase of a particular action.
-
serving to complete a military campaign by killing or capturing any remaining enemy troops.
a mopping-up operation.
Etymology
Origin of mopping-up
1905–10; mop up + -ing 1, used attributively
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.
Voting trends show the BJP mopping up more than 44% of the vote this time.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Fallon said his neighbour has been mopping up inside while he tries to clear water away outside.
From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026
Southern Californians mopping up from record-breaking rains over the Christmas holiday may be in for more wet weather to usher in the new year — including a high likelihood of rain on the Rose Parade.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025
Owens and her family saved the house, wedging plywood underneath the doorways during the storm and mopping up water faster than it seeped inside.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
“Got work to do,” he said, mopping up gravy with his bread.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
