clean up

clean  (kln)

adj. clean·er, clean·est

1. Free from dirt, stain, or impurities; unsoiled.

2.

a. Free from foreign matter or pollution; unadulterated: clean air; clean drinking water.

b. Not infected: a clean wound.

3.

a. Producing relatively little pollution: a clean fuel; a cleaner, more efficient engine.

b. Producing relatively little radioactive fallout or contamination: a clean nuclear bomb.

4. Having no imperfections or blemishes; regular or even: a clean edge; a smooth, clean joint.

5.

a. Not ornate or intricate; spare: "the clean lines and exquisite proportions of early modernism" (Judith Thurman).

b. Sharply defined; clear-cut: a clean outline against the sky.

6. Free from clumsiness; deft; adroit: a clean throw.

7. Devoid of restrictions or encumbrances: a clean bill of health.

8. Thorough; complete: a clean getaway.

9. Having few alterations or corrections; legible: clean manuscript.

10. Blank: a clean page.

11.

a. Morally pure; virtuous: led a clean life.

b. Having no marks of discredit or offense: a clean voting record.

12. Fit for all readers, listeners, or audiences; not ribald or obscene: a clean joke.

13. Honest or fair: a clean fighter; a clean competition.

14. Slang

a. Not carrying concealed weapons or drugs.

b. Innocent of a suspected crime.

15. Informal

a. Free from narcotics addiction.

b. Showing no evidence of using banned or performance-enhancing substances: proven to be clean before the race.

adv. cleaner, cleanest

1. So as to be unsoiled: wash the dishes clean.

2. In a fair manner: played the game clean.

3. In a clean or nonpolluting manner: a fuel that burns clean.

4. Informal Entirely; wholly: clean forgot the appointment.

v. cleaned, clean·ing, cleans

v.tr.

1. To rid of dirt, rubbish, or impurities: clean a room; clean a suit.

2. To get rid of (impurities or dirt, for example); remove: cleaned up the trash; cleaned off the stains.

3. To prepare (fowl or other food) for cooking, as by removing the entrails or fat.

4. To remove the contents from; empty: cleaned my plate.

5. Sports To lift (a barbell) from the floor to the shoulders in one motion.

v.intr.

To undergo or perform an act of cleaning.

Phrasal Verbs:

clean out

1. To rid of dirt, rubbish, or impurities.

2. To empty of contents or occupants.

3. Informal To drive or force out: cleaned out the incompetent workers.

4. Slang To deprive completely of money or material wealth: The robbery cleaned us out.

clean up

1. To make clean or orderly.

2. To make oneself clean, neat, or presentable.

3. To dispose of; settle: cleaned up the unpaid bills.

4. Slang To make a large profit, often in a short period of time: cleaned up during the bull market.

Idiom:

clean house Slang

To eliminate or discard what is undesirable: The scandal forced the company to clean house.

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[Middle English clene, from Old English clne.]

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cleana·ble adj.

cleanness n.

Synonyms: clean, antiseptic, cleanly, immaculate, spotless
These adjectives mean free from dirt: clean clothing; antiseptic surgical instruments; a cleanly pet; an immaculate tablecloth; a spotless kitchen.

Antonym: dirty

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clean up

vb (adverb)

1. to rid (something) of dirt, filth, or other impurities

2. to make (someone or something) orderly or presentable

3. (tr) to rid (a place) of undesirable people or conditions the campaign against vice had cleaned up the city

4. (intr) Informal to make a great profit

n cleanup

1.

a.  the process of cleaning up or eliminating something

b.  (as modifier) a cleanup campaign

2. Informal chiefly US a great profit

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	clean up - put (things or places) in order; "Tidy up your room!" neaten, square away, tidy, tidy up, straighten, straighten out make up, make - put in order or neaten; "make the bed"; "make up a room" order - bring order to or into; "Order these files" clean house, houseclean, clean - clean and tidy up the house; "She housecleans every week"
	2.	clean up - make a big profit; often in a short period of time; "The investor really cleaned up when the stock market went up" turn a profit, profit - make a profit; gain money or materially; "The company has not profited from the merger"
	3.	clean up - dispose of; "settle the bills" settle - dispose of; make a financial settlement
	4.	clean up - make oneself clean, presentable or neat; "Clean up before you go to the party" neaten, groom - care for one's external appearance; "He is always well-groomed"

Translations

? clean up

vt sep

(lit) → sauber machen; old building, old painting → reinigen; mess → aufräumen; to clean oneself up → sich sauber machen

(fig) the new mayor cleaned up the city → der neue Bürgermeister hat für Sauberkeit in der Stadt gesorgt; to clean up television → den Bildschirm (von Gewalt, Sex etc) säubern ? act N d

vi

(lit) → aufräumen

(inf) → abkassieren (inf), → absahnen (inf); to clean up at the record stores/box office (CD/movie) → voll abräumen (inf)