1 A2 neutral
To make a place or space clean and tidy after a mess or activity.
"The kids made a huge mess with the paints, and I spent an hour cleaning up."
separable
clean up
A2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To make a place clean and tidy after a mess; also to make a large profit, or to reform one's behavior.
In plain English
To make a place clean again after it got dirty or messy.
What does "clean up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To reform one's behavior or lifestyle; to stop engaging in something harmful or dishonest.
"He promised to clean up his act after the arrest and has stayed out of trouble since."
“
I had to clean up my act and be responsible.
— Eminem, various interviews discussing his recovery from addiction, widely quoted
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To make a large profit or gain, especially quickly or unexpectedly.
"She cleaned up at the casino that night, walking away with over five thousand dollars."
inseparable
4 B1 idiomatic neutral
To remove corruption, crime, or wrongdoing from an organization or area.
"The new mayor was elected on a promise to clean up the city's police department."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To clean in an upward direction, or to complete the act of cleaning.
Actually means
To make a place clean again after it got dirty or messy.
Usage tip
One of the most common phrasal verbs in English. Used for domestic cleaning, environmental cleanup, and figuratively for corruption or behavior reform. 'Clean up your act' means to start behaving better. In finance/gambling, 'clean up' means to make a large profit.
Words that pair with "clean up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
mess room act environment spill city image profits
How to conjugate "clean up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
clean up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cleans up
he/she/it
Past simple
cleaned up
yesterday
Past participle
cleaned up
have + pp
-ing form
cleaning up
continuous
Hear "clean up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "clean up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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