mopping-up

[ mop-ing-uhp ]

adjective

1. serving to complete or put the finishing touches to a phase of a particular action.
2. serving to complete a military campaign by killing or capturing any remaining enemy troops:

   a mopping-up operation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mopping-up¹

1905–10; mop up + -ing ¹, used attributively

Example Sentences

There was some mopping up to do, particularly to convince waverers in the Jewish community.

From The Daily Beast

You go to the source, there is no point mopping up until you have fixed the actual leak.

From The Daily Beast

President Obama could start mopping up this hot mess by causing some heads to roll in his Chicago campaign headquarters.

From The Daily Beast

Typical Post-y puns decried how custodians were “mopping up” and “cleaning us out.”

From The Daily Beast

The advertising department had been closed, and on the floor above, scrub women were busy mopping up.

From Project Gutenberg

Then he saw the helper busily mopping up the reeking mass of chemicals.

From Project Gutenberg

The world is small, as you say, but just at this moment infernally busy mopping up.

From Project Gutenberg

"Then we'd better be shackin' erlong," said Mormon, mopping up gravy with half a biscuit.

From Project Gutenberg

On arrival there, the "mopping up" party is found still at work, but it soon completes its grim task.

From Project Gutenberg