ENGLISH
REFERENCE

clean sth up

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to make a place or a thing tidy and remove any dirt or mess.

phr. v.. to remove dirt, refuse, or disorder from a specific area or object; often implies a thorough restoration of order.


SIMPLE

We need to clean the kitchen up before the guests arrive.

CONTEXTUAL

The volunteers spent the entire Saturday morning cleaning up the local park after the music festival.

COMPLEX

Environmental agencies are working tirelessly to clean up the coastal regions affected by the recent industrial chemical spill.

Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
clean (+ object) + up
Usage

commonly used with physical spaces like rooms, parks, or streets.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'clean' (the general act) and 'tidy up' (focuses on organization rather than dirt); 'clean up' implies a more complete or intensive effort.

Pitfall

I cleaned up it.I cleaned it up.when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

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