adverb
-
in a fair manner
-
easily or smoothly
the screw went into the wood cleanly
adjective
Other Word Forms
- cleanlily adverb
- cleanliness noun
Etymology
Origin of cleanly
before 900; Middle English clenlich ( e ), Old English clǣnlīc, equivalent to clǣne clean + -līc -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Kelly goes up for a header, he's gone for the header cleanly. His feet have to land on the ground somewhere," he added on BBC Radio 5 Live.
From BBC
The partially toothless Jack Hughes, left alone on the left wing, beat Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington cleanly 1:41 into the extra period to set off a wild celebration for the Americans.
From Los Angeles Times
The talk is of ensuring that there is a firewall between the King and the legal and police inquiries so that they can proceed cleanly.
From BBC
Had she landed it cleanly, she would have won a medal.
From BBC
Fear tripped on the second element of their free-dance routine, and despite skating cleanly for the remainder it proved too much of an obstacle to overcome.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
