Meaning & use
clean out
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To empty a place and get rid of the dirt, mess, or unwanted things inside it.
Grammar: Takes an object: clean out the garage. The object may sit between the verb and out.
Patterns
- clean out something
- clean something out
- clean out a place
We spent Saturday morning cleaning out the attic.
She cleaned out her desk before she left the company.
The old shed needs to be cleaned out before winter.
verbtransitiveinformal
To take away or use up all of someone's or something's money or supplies.
Grammar: Often used with of: the thieves cleaned him out of cash.
Patterns
- clean someone out
- clean someone out of something
The hospital bills cleaned us out completely.
Buying a new car cleaned out my savings.
Thieves cleaned the shop out of its best watches.
Word forms
| third person singular | cleans out |
|---|---|
| past tense | cleaned out |
| past participle | cleaned out |
| -ing form | cleaning out |
Common combinations
- clean out a closet
- I cleaned out the closet and gave half my clothes away.
- clean out the garage
- Dad finally cleaned out the garage last weekend.
- clean out a drawer
- She cleaned out the kitchen drawer and found three old keys.
- clean someone out of something
- The kids cleaned me out of snacks in one afternoon.
- thoroughly clean out
- The whole cupboard was thoroughly cleaned out and repainted.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clear out
- Very close in meaning, but it often stresses removing things rather than washing or scrubbing the space.
- empty
- Focuses only on taking everything out and says nothing about dirt or cleaning.
- tidy up
- Means putting things in order, not throwing things away or washing the space.
Opposites
Word family
- clean-out noun
- an occasion when you remove unwanted things from a place
Commonly confused: clean out or clean up?
clean out vs clean up
Clean up means making a place neat after a mess; clean out means emptying a place and removing what is inside.
Practice
Which sentence uses "clean out" correctly?
Choose one answer.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between clean and out, so "clean it out" is correct. "Clean out it" breaks that rule, and the other two options put the preposition in a place English does not allow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clean out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.