clean out

verb

cleaned out; cleaning out; cleans out

1

: to remove unwanted things from (a room, closet, etc.)

We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.

2

informal : to steal or take everything from (someone or something)

The thieves broke in and cleaned out the store.

3

informal : to use up all or most of the money of (someone)

Buying the house really cleaned us out. Now we're broke.

Examples of clean out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media strained under the weight of those returning to their parents’ home and cleaning out the closets of their former bedrooms. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Scrubbing showers, vacuuming floors, and cleaning out the fridge are tasks to be accomplished, not to be enjoyed, right? — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026

Bell told me about an instance when a friend stayed over, cleaned out her garbage disposal, and ordered her new sponges, all without any prompting. — Brooke Knappenberger, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

The task at hand in this specific moment is a sit-down with this reporter, followed by an overdue meeting with offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher to clean out the back of the call sheet. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for clean out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout