Clean out means to empty and sort something, throwing away everything you don't need: a cupboard, a garage, a fridge, a desk drawer. The point is to clear the inside, not just wipe it. In conversation, the phrase has a second, informal meaning: to take all someone's money or leave them with none. People say it about thieves or an expensive trip or purchase: The trip cleaned me out, meaning it left me broke.
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clean out + cupboard/garage/fridge; clean it out; clean somebody out (informal) = leave them with no money
- This weekend I'm going to clean out the garage and give our old bikes to a charity shop.
- Two weeks in London completely cleaned me out, so I'm cooking at home until payday.
What changed
First versionThe cupboard was full of old papers, so I cleaned out it on Sunday.
RevisionThe cupboard was full of old papers, so I cleaned it out on Sunday.
When the pronoun it replaces the name of the thing, it goes between clean and out: cleaned it out. Putting it straight after the verb gives cleaned out it, which is wrong. With a noun, both orders work: clean out the cupboard or clean the cupboard out.
Clean up means to tidy, to deal with visible mess. Clean out means to empty and sort something from the inside, getting rid of junk: I cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, and on Sunday I'll clean out the cupboards.
Your turn
Three weeks of travelling around Norway ___, and now I can't even pay my rent.
Show the answer
cleaned me out — There's no money left even for rent, so the trip left the speaker broke: cleaned me out. Cleaned me up would mean “washed me and made me look tidy”, which doesn't fit an empty wallet.
Describe how you cleaned out a wardrobe, garage or storeroom. Say what you threw away and what you decided to keep.
Last spring I cleaned out my wardrobe: I threw away old trainers and torn jeans but kept my grandfather's leather jacket.
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