wipe up
Definition
Verb: 1. To clean or remove (a liquid or something soft) by rubbing with a cloth or absorbent material: The action of using a cloth, sponge, or similar item to absorb and remove spills, dirt, or moisture from a surface. 2. To clean a surface by this method: The process of cleaning, typically involving a back-and-forth or circular motion with an absorbent tool.
Usage
The verb "wipe up" is a phrasal verb. It is transitive and requires a direct object (the thing being cleaned). It is commonly used for cleaning small, contained messes, especially liquids. The particle "up" emphasizes the action of absorbing and removing the substance completely.
Examples
- Please wipe up the water you spilled on the counter. (Clean the spilled water by absorbing it with a cloth.)
- She quickly wiped up the coffee before it stained the table. (She removed the spilled coffee to prevent a stain.)
- Can you wipe up that sauce from the floor? (A request to clean the sauce off the floor.)
- I'll just wipe these crumbs up with a damp cloth. (The object "these crumbs" is placed between "wipe" and "up".)
Advanced Usage
- "Wipe up after [someone/something]": To clean the mess created by another person, animal, or activity. This often implies a sense of duty or responsibility.
- Parents often have to wipe up after their young children.
- Part of training a puppy is being prepared to wipe up after it.
Variants and Related Words
- Wipe (verb): A more general term for cleaning or drying a surface by rubbing. It does not inherently carry the strong sense of absorption and removal that "wipe up" does.
- Wipe your feet on the mat. (Clean them by rubbing.)
- Wipe the surface with a disinfectant. (Apply cleaner by rubbing.)
- Mop up (phrasal verb): A close synonym, often used for larger spills or areas. "Mop" specifically suggests using a mop, but it can be used figuratively similarly to "wipe up."
- Clean up (phrasal verb): A broader term for making something clean and tidy, which can include "wiping up" as one action among others.
Synonyms
- Mop up: To clean a liquid spill, typically with a mop.
- Sop up: To absorb a liquid, often with something porous like bread or a paper towel.
- Soak up: To absorb a liquid.
- Clean up: To make clean or tidy.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Wipe away: To remove something (like tears, sweat, or a mark) by wiping. Often used for things on the body or face.
- He wiped away his tears.
- Wipe off: To remove something (like dirt, dust, or a substance) from a surface by wiping.
- Please wipe the mud off your shoes.
- Wipe down: To clean the entire surface of something (like a table, counter, or wall) by wiping it.
- She wiped down the kitchen cabinets.
Related Idioms
- "Wipe the slate clean": To forget past mistakes or arguments and start again. (Note: This idiom uses "wipe," not the phrasal verb "wipe up").
- Let's wipe the slate clean and begin our partnership anew.
Verb
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to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop
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Mop the hallway now
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He mopped her forehead with a towel
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