clean out
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents.
Dọn dẹp sạch sẽ, đặc biệt là thu dọn bằng cách loại bỏ nội dung
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
To take all money or possessions from.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
To hit or strike (someone); to beat up.
Register: dated, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 4
to ruin, or make bankrupt any one; to take all he has got, by purchase, chicane, or force. De Quincey, in his article on Richard Bentley, speaking of the lawsuit between that great scholar and Dr. Colbatch, remarks that the latter "must have been pretty well CLEANED OUT." The term is very general.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “clean out” mean?
To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents.
Is “clean out” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.