mop up
verb
Forms mops up mopping up mopped up
- verb To clean up (liquid) with a mop, rag, sponge, or other cleaning device. “Please mop up the spilled milk.”
- verb (informal) To fix problems; to correct or repair. “After they argued, it fell to me to talk to her and try to mop up.”
- verb (transitive) To absorb the leftovers of a dish with bread etc., in order to eat them.
- verb To consume or get rid of an excess of something.
- verb To clean up an area destroyed by a natural disaster or by violent activity.
- verb To finish something off; to apply a finishing touch
- verb To get rid of (enemies) within a certain area.
- verb To win a competition decisively.
Synonyms
completion culmination closing windup wipe up mop worst pip whip rack up get through wrap up finish off polish off clear up finish up
Etymology
mop + up
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “mop up”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details