Phrasal verb
clean off
Definition
phrasal verb. to remove dirt or unwanted marks from the surface of something.
phrasal verb. to remove a substance or layer of debris from a surface; typically implies a wiping or scrubbing action to restore the surface to its original state.
Examples
“Please clean off the table after you finish eating.”
“He used a damp cloth to clean off the mud that had dried on his boots.”
“The restoration team worked delicately to clean off centuries of soot and grime from the cathedral's marble altar without damaging the stone.”
Examples
simple
“Please clean off the table after you finish eating.”
contextual
“He used a damp cloth to clean off the mud that had dried on his boots.”
complex
“The restoration team worked delicately to clean off centuries of soot and grime from the cathedral's marble altar without damaging the stone.”
Usage
usually followed by the surface being cleaned or the specific substance being removed.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'clean up' (which focuses on tidying a whole area) versus 'clean off' (which focuses on a specific surface); 'off' emphasizes the removal of a layer.
Pitfall
I need to clean off of the counter.
I need to clean off the counter.
the word 'off' acts as the particle here and does not require an extra 'of' before the object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
clean + [object] + off
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/clean-off