Cleanup vs. Clean Up How to Choose the Right Word

The words cleanup and clean up are clearly related, but one is a noun describing an event, and the other is a phrasal verb, describing an action. How to Use Cleanup The noun cleanup (one word), sometimes written as clean-up, refers to an event during which some type of cleaning takes place. For example, a cleanup can refer to the tidying up of a person, place, or thing, or it can mean an exceptional financial success or a robbery and its proceeds. It can also mean the removal or stamping out of immoral influences or pockets of enemy resistance. In baseball, cleanup means the fourth position in a teams batting order, the person responsible for cleaning the field of runners by batting them home. How to Use Clean Up The two-word verb phrase clean up refers to an action: to free from dirt or clutter or bring up to a certain level sanitariness, to clear land of weeds or brush, to rid oneself of alcohol or other drug addiction, to vanquish an enemy, or to obtain a sizable profit. Examples In these examples, the word cleanup is used to signify an event or process: Paul scheduled next Saturday for spring cleanup in his garden.If the cleanup of your garage is so important, you may need to rent a dumpster.Imani made a cleanup when she sold her antique car collection.The candidate pledged that she would conduct an investigation and cleanup of the corruption in local government.The player batting cleanup tied the baseball game in the ninth inning, bringing in three runs. These examples, however, describe the action of cleaning up, rather than an event: If you really want to clean up your garage, rent a dumpster.The neighbors pitched in to clean up the abandoned lot.He decided to really clean up and quit drinking before the kids came to visit.The candidate pledged, Im going to get rid of corruption and clean up this town!The PTA hoped to clean up from the bake sale and buy new uniforms for the schools basketball teams. How to Remember the Difference The difference between cleanup and clean up has to do with whether the topic is an event or an action or process. If its an event, the words can work together as cleanup—think of a group working as a unit to get the event done. If its an action or process, clean up can take a tense: A cleanedup isnt grammatically correct, but cleaned up is. Related Grammatical Concepts Idiomatic uses of clean up include clean up ones act, and clean up after. The expression clean up ones act means to follow certain standards of behavior or improve the way one behaves; it can only be an action: The teacher told Kim she would have to clean up her act if she expected to pass the class. To clean up after (someone or something) means to remove a mess or fix problems made by something or someone else. Harold was forced to clean up after his roommate before his parents came to visit. Sources â€Å"Cleanup.†Ã‚  Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster.