clear-up

IPA/ˈklɪər.ʌp/
IPA/ˈklɪr.ʌp/

clear-up — noun

1. a session of making a room, house, or outdoor area clean and orderly, typically

1.nounB1
Definition

a session of making a room, house, or outdoor area clean and orderly, typically by returning objects to their proper places and discarding what is no longer useful

Example

The whole family joined in the weekend clear-up of the garage.

clear-up of + [place/location]

After the party, Talia organised a quick clear-up before the guests left.

Common collocations
  • big clear-up
  • spring clear-up
  • clear-up operation
  • post-event clear-up
Synonyms
  • tidy-up

    interchangeable in British English, slightly more informal

  • clean-up

    focuses more on removing dirt than on organising; can also be American English

Grammar Patterns

a clear-up

the clear-up of [place]

Usage Note

This noun is most common in British English. It typically refers to a single, defined cleaning session rather than routine housework.

Common Mistakes

I did a clear-up of my desk every evening.
I did a clear-up of my desk on Sunday.
The noun suggests a one-time thorough session, not a daily habit.

clear-up — phrasal verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: phrasal verb/3

All four phrases mean putting a place in order, but they differ in scope and emphasis. 'Clear up' focuses on removing objects or mess that should not be there — toys from the floor, dishes from the table — and is often used for a quick, targeted action. 'Tidy up' (common in British English) means returning things to their proper places and making the space look neat; it does not necessarily involve washing or scrubbing. 'Clean up' includes removing dirt, grease, or stains — wiping surfaces, sweeping floors — so it implies a deeper level of hygiene. 'Straighten up' suggests a brief, surface-level organisation: fluffing cushions, aligning books, without any cleaning. For example: you clear up the coffee cups after a meeting, tidy up your desk at the end of the day, clean up the kitchen after cooking, and straighten up the living room before guests arrive.

clear up ↗tidy up ↗clean upstraighten up ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

'Clear-up' combines the Old English 'clǣne' (clear, pure) with the adverb 'up', a common particle in phrasal verbs. The noun form, combining verb + particle into a single hyphenated word, emerged in 19th-century British English as a concise way to refer to a tidying session. The phrasal verb 'clear up' has been in continuous use since the 14th century, originally describing the weather becoming bright and later extending to medical, domestic, and figurative meanings.