neaten

American  

[neet-n] / ˈnit n /

verb (used with object)

1. to make neat.

   a day spent neatening the kitchen shelves.

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neaten British  

/ ˈniːtən /

verb

1. (tr) to make neat; tidy

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Etymology

Origin of neaten

First recorded in 1895–1900; neat ¹ + -en ¹

Explanation

To neaten is to tidy up or to clean. You can neaten your room by making your bed and throwing your dirty clothes in the laundry basket. When you turn disorder into order, you neaten. You might neaten your car by throwing away the accumulated soda cans and brushing crumbs off the seats, or neaten your outfit by straightening your tie and tucking in your shirt. Neaten comes from neat, "tidy or clean," from the Middle French net, "clear or pure." The root is the Latin nitere, "to shine."

Example Sentences

Over 24 hours, I watched pundits and advocates try to neaten this case up, with conclusions that might wrangle the story back into something more orderly.

From Washington Post • Aug. 21, 2018

There is only so much we can really put away even though I’ve started making the effort to remove anything truly personal when I neaten up ahead of company.

From Scientific American • Jul. 30, 2017

I would neaten myself up and tell them I could work whatever hours they wanted.

From The Guardian • Feb. 27, 2013

They fundamentally try to neaten things up and make it look more rational than it is.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2012

As a child she always had a knack for organization; she would take it upon herself to neaten closets and drawers, not only her own but her parents’ as well.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri