Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of making a place clean and tidy: "clean-up" refers to the process of removing dirt, waste, or disorder from a location.
   • A large profit or gain (informal, especially American English): "clean-up" can mean a sudden, substantial financial profit or a beneficial outcome.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The kitchen clean-up took over an hour. (The act of cleaning the kitchen thoroughly.)
  • After the party, everyone helped with the clean-up. (The task of tidying up after an event.)
  • He made a clean-up on the stock market last year. (He earned a large, unexpected profit.)

Advanced Usage

• "Clean-up crew": a team of people responsible for cleaning a specific area, often after an event or accident.

  • The clean-up crew arrived after the concert to remove trash. (The people hired to tidy the venue.)

• "Clean-up hitter": in baseball, the fourth batter in the lineup, typically a strong hitter expected to drive in runs.

  • The clean-up hitter hit a home run. (The player in the fourth batting position scored a home run.)

Variants and Related Words

• Clean up (phrasal verb): to make something clean; to remove dirt or disorder.

  • Please clean up your room before dinner. (Tidy your room completely.)

• Cleanup (noun, alternative spelling): same as "clean-up"; often used as a single word in American English.

  • The cleanup of the oil spill took months. (The process of removing the oil contamination.)

Synonyms

• Cleansing: the act of making something clean, especially thoroughly.
• Purge: the removal of unwanted elements or impurities.
• Tidying: making a place neat and orderly.

Phrasal Verbs

• Clean up: to make a place or oneself clean and tidy.

  • We need to clean up after the renovation. (Remove dust and debris after construction.)

• Clean up on: to make a large profit from something (informal).

  • He cleaned up on the real estate deal. (He made a huge profit from the property sale.)

Related Idioms

• Clean up one's act: to improve one's behavior or performance.

  • After failing the class, he decided to clean up his act. (He resolved to study harder and behave better.)

• Clean up the mess: to resolve a difficult or chaotic situation.

  • The new manager had to clean up the mess left by his predecessor. (Fix the problems caused by the previous manager.)