1
: an act or instance of cleaning
The children helped with the cleanup.
2
: an exceptionally large profit
made a cleanup [=killing] when he sold his stocks
: being in the fourth position in the batting order of a baseball team
a cleanup hitter
cleanup
adverb
cleaned up; cleaning up; cleans up
1
: to make a spectacular profit in a business enterprise or a killing in speculation or gambling
2
: to become free of drug or alcohol addiction
I always cleaned up for tours. … By the end of the tour, I'm perfectly clean and should have stayed sober.—
Keith Richards
Keith RichardsExamples of cleanup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebHayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2024
Last month, the railway agreed to a $310 million settlement with the federal government, requiring the railroad to pay for the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup efforts and penalties for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
Campbell Roper, arkansasonline.com, 26 June 2024
The family has been temporarily moved downriver to make way for cleanup efforts and given opening ceremony tickets for their inconvenience.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 26 June 2024
Steven Goff, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
The governor has said the plan was to clean up trees damaged in previous storms.
—Susan Haigh, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleanup 
Noun
In the immediate aftermath, officials estimated cleanup would cost about $50 million, but the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard spent roughly $160 million clearing the primary shipping channel into Baltimore.
—Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2024
Last month, the railway agreed to a $310 million settlement with the federal government, requiring the railroad to pay for the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup efforts and penalties for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
—Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
Adjective
The council approved the city to work with three companies for cleanup efforts.
—Campbell Roper, arkansasonline.com, 26 June 2024
The family has been temporarily moved downriver to make way for cleanup efforts and given opening ceremony tickets for their inconvenience.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 26 June 2024
Verb
Matt Turner made a sensational save, but Mathias Olivera cleaned up the rebound.
—Steven Goff, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
The governor has said the plan was to clean up trees damaged in previous storms.
—Susan Haigh, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleanup
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cleanup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cleanup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanup. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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