Standard Lemma guide

cleanup

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkliːnʌp/
  • [ˈkhliːˌnʌp]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːnʌp
  • CMU ARPABET: K L IY1 N AH2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of cleaning or tidying something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the cost of environmental cleanup after an oil spill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of finishing something off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Fourth in the batting order; a cleanup hitter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: ball-games, baseball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • Jones will be batting cleanup in tonight's game.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

Misspelling of clean up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, misspelling

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of making something clean

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he gave his shoes a good cleaning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cleaning, cleansing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: improvement

Narrower terms: disinfestation, spring-cleaning, scrub, scrubbing, scouring, dry cleaning, sweeping, purge, purging, purification, sterilization, sterilisation, sanitation, sanitization, sanitisation, depilation, epilation, washup, bathing, housecleaning

6

noun

Meaning 6

(baseball) the fourth position in the batting order (usually filled by the best batter on the team)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cleanup position, cleanup spot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: position

7

noun

Meaning 7

a very large profit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: killing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: net income, net, net profit, lucre, profit, profits, earnings

History

Etymology

A deverbal from clean up.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: təmizləmə — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Azerbaijani: yığışdırma — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Catalan: neteja — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Dutch: schoonmaak — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Finnish: puhdistus — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Finnish: siivous — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • French: nettoyage — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • German: Aufräumen — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • German: Säubern — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • German: Säuberung — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • German: Säuberungsaktion — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Greek: καθαρισμός (katharismós) — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Hebrew: ניקוי (niqui) — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Marathi: सफाई (saphāī) — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Marathi: साफसफाई (sāphasphāī) — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Portuguese: limpeza — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Russian: убо́рка (ubórka) — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Serbo-Croatian: čišćenje — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Serbo-Croatian: чишћење — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Spanish: limpieza — the act of cleaning or tidying
  • Turkish: temizleme — the act of cleaning or tidying
Real reading context

cleanup in complete knowledge articles