mop-up
Americannoun
verb
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to clean with a mop
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informal to complete (a task, etc)
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military to clear (remaining enemy forces) after a battle, as by killing, taking prisoner, etc
noun
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Clear an area of remaining enemy troops after a victory, as in They left behind just one squadron to mop up . [c. 1900]
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Perform the minor tasks that conclude a project or activity, as in Go ahead, I'll mop up these last invoices . [First half of 1900s] Both usages transfer the task of housecleaning with a mop to other kinds of cleanup.
Etymology
Origin of mop-up
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase mop up
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.
A Los Angeles firefighter said in sworn testimony that he sounded the alarm about the inadequate mop-up of the Lachman fire — and was blown off by a captain — days before the embers reignited into the deadly Palisades fire.
From Los Angeles Times
Gardner said the department has since developed a post-fire policy and mop-up procedures after the Mountain fire.
From Los Angeles Times
His final three games came in a mop-up role for a Green Bay team that went 4-12 in 1986.
From Los Angeles Times
More than a year after the Palisades fire, the public has yet to hear directly from firefighters about their mop-up of the Lachman fire.
From Los Angeles Times
Moore also described his efforts to look into missteps made during the mop-up of the Lachman fire, which rekindled days later into the devastating Palisades fire.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
