How to Use clean in a Sentence

clean

1 of 4 adjective
Definition of cleannext
Synonyms for cleannext
  • He's a clean young man.
  • He keeps a very clean house.
  • I wiped the baby's face clean.
  • The janitor does a good job of keeping the office clean.
  • Cats are very clean animals.
  • This table isn't clean. There's a sticky spot where something spilled.
  • Solar power provides clean energy.
  • Then rinse off the lemon juice and gunk with clean water.
    — Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, 29 Nov. 2022
  • There’s also the effect of the clean air (and) staying up front.
    — Cole Cusumano, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2022
  • Keeper of the Cheerios Time to get those toy cars clean!
    — Corinne Sullivan, Good Housekeeping, 11 Nov. 2022
  • Your cats need a few things: a clean place to go to the bathroom, fresh food and water, and a whole lot of love.
    — Medea Giordano, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2022
  • Equipped with all that, your teeth are left feeling squeaky clean.
    — Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 19 Sep. 2022
  • The packaging for Acqua di Giò is just as clean as the scent.
    — Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022
  • Boats, more than anything, are a challenge to keep clean.
    — Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 9 Jan. 2023
  • Put down blankets and towels if there are any to be found, or any kind of clean cloth.
    — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 2 Oct. 2022
  • Head coach Matt LaFleur went with a clean light green sport coat, while a few players were in a jolly mood.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 25 Dec. 2022
  • In seconds, the visible-from-space grease shine around my roots was gone and my hair felt light and clean.
    — Sarah Hoffmann, Allure, 24 Dec. 2022
  • On a cutting board or clean surface, butter one side of each slice of bread.
    — G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2022
  • The clean, all-black jersey top came complete with white stars down the right shoulder and black and white stripes on the other.
    — Alexis Cubit, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2022
  • He was dropped for a four-yard loss in the first half on which Ole Miss’ Ladarius Tennison had a clean path to him.
    — Brett Dawson, The Courier-Journal, 1 Oct. 2022
  • Light with a hint of citrus peel, this crowd-pleasing sparkler has a clean and crisp finish.
    — Susan Choung, Good Housekeeping, 28 Nov. 2022
  • The miserable 2022 is part of what makes the Fever a relatively clean slate for Sides.
    — Wilson Moore, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Nov. 2022
  • Ensuring that all of the beds in your home have crisp, clean sheets can also do wonders.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 20 Sep. 2022
  • Overall, most pillows should be able to be wiped clean or spot cleaned with soap and water.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2022
  • When removed from the mold, clean-up and buffing is required to get the carcass ready for the cover layer.
    — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 10 Nov. 2022
  • The mailer’s other side shows Dernulc smiling in a clean T-shirt next to a set of boxing gloves.
    — Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2022
  • Another gave Mitchell a clean look at a 3-pointer going to his left.
    — Chris Fedor, cleveland, 13 Oct. 2022
  • Allow Auburn to wipe its memory clean of these last two years.
    — Joseph Goodman | [email protected], al, 31 Oct. 2022
  • The washable filter is also easy to access and clean but do turn on that faucet full blast to get into the filter’s crevices.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Feb. 2023
  • And the climate is on the docket with former US vice president and climate activist Al Gore set to speak about clean energy infrastructure.
    — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2023
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clean

2 of 4 adverb
  • The nail went clean through the wall.
  • The fish were jumping clean out of the water.
  • Somehow, the top of the machine came clean off.
  • Those 20-somethings, many in coat and tie, looked clean-cut and primly trendy.
    — Amanda Taub and Max Fisher, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2017
  • Suave, clean-cut, and well-spoken, Macron the candidate seemed like the product of a centrist basement lab.
    — Sarah Jones, New Republic, 25 Aug. 2017
  • The build-up has been light on trash talk, with Parker living up to his image of being clean-cut and courteous.
    — USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Under the original plan, the high-tech new plant in Mattoon would have turned coal into a clean-burning gas and would then have filtered out the Co2.
    — Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2010
  • The action cycles smoothly, and the gun has a clean-breaking, fully adjustable trigger.
    — Michael Dickerson, Outdoor Life, 8 Dec. 2020
  • The clean-burning coconut wax is housed in exquisite glass vessels.
    — Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored, 27 Oct. 2020
  • Canned pumpkin means that there’s no need to open, clean, cut, and puree a pumpkin, leaving you more time to concentrate on the other meal courses.
    — The Editors, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2020
  • Very clean-tasting, with a hint of orange-creamsickle notes and some tangerine.
    — cleveland, 8 May 2022
  • Together, all these farms give rise to Vermont’s clean-eating culture.
    — Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022
  • Juana’s parents didn’t grumble about the work at the factory, where hundreds of workers lined up in rows to perform a task — stun, slaughter, pluck feathers, clean, cut or debone.
    — Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2019
  • Juana 's parents didn 't grumble about the work at the factory, where hundreds of workers lined up in rows to perform a task -- stun, slaughter, pluck feathers, clean, cut or debone.
    — Author: Jenny Jarvie, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Aug. 2019
  • And that required relying on an image of the Kennedys as upstanding, clean-cut, even glamorous public servants.
    — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, 9 Apr. 2018
  • Another example of keeping schools clean comes from the Hamilton School District in Sussex.
    — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2020
  • The clean-living trend has gained steam in recent years, particularly among celebrities and their followings.
    — Corrie Driebusch, WSJ, 14 July 2021
  • His grades were good, but there are no stories of virtuosity, just a heavy-drinking, clean-cut young man who seemed to be the median kind of person at an elite university like Yale in the 1980s.
    — Jill Filipovic, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2019
  • Utah -- named by a 2012 Gallup poll as the best state in which to live thanks to economic and social factors -- is known for producing clean-cut, clean-living residents whose lifestyles harken back to an earlier time.
    — OregonLive.com, 9 May 2017
  • Without the mess of ash and soot, these clean-burning units require much less upkeep than traditional wood-burning fireplaces, but a bit of gas fireplace maintenance is essential to keep yours in top shape.
    — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2021
  • Some clean-eating plans even eschew whole-food staples like dairy, grains, and naturally occurring sugars.
    — Christine Byrne, Outside Online, 14 Mar. 2019
  • And while enthusiasm marked the conversation on clean-burning hydrogen, some sounded caution about how the technology is scaled up.
    — Denise Chow, NBC News, 12 May 2022
  • New research and a slew of industry announcements promise clean-burning hydrogen at $1 per kilogram will displace fossil fuels used in industries from steel to shipping.
    — Michael J. Coren, Quartz, 29 Dec. 2021
  • Charlottesville has long outgrown its patrician Jeffersonian roots to become a mecca for artists and musicians, youthful retirees, and clean-cut techies.
    — James Loeffler, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2018
  • There are times of year when turbines on the Columbia River produce more electricity than needed, and a public utility wants to use that excess power to create a clean-burning fuel for factories, trucks or power plants.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2021
  • Solar power and wind power are growing fast in the Netherlands, and now interest is shifting to hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that companies are betting will be used in large volumes to store energy and power heavy vehicles and heavy industry.
    — Clifford Krauss, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Finch, who is remarkably clean-cut for an unwashed anarcho-punk, represents freedom, sexuality and a comfortable racial identity.
    — Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2018
  • At the same time, the gas company notes that hydrogen could dramatically reduce hazardous air pollution from heavy-duty trucks, estimating that Angeles Link could deliver enough clean-burning fuel to displace 3 million gallons of diesel each day.
    — Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2022
  • This clean-burning fuel significantly reduces emissions over more traditional marine bunker oil, thereby lessening the ship's environmental footprint.
    — Tim Walters, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2021
  • The nail went clean through the wall.
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clean

3 of 4 verb
  • The carpet needs to be cleaned.
  • They cleaned the fish and cooked them on the campfire.
  • They divide household duties so that she cleans and her husband cooks.
  • Divers come by three times a week to clean the tank and feed the fish.
    — Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 Mar. 2024
  • Over the next two weeks, the POWs were fed and cleaned and made ready for release.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN, 29 May 2023
  • The durable scoop is dishwasher-safe and fast to clean.
    — Lindsay Tigar, Peoplemag, 1 June 2023
  • Once it's removed, clean the bite area and wash your hands.
    — Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press, 5 May 2023
  • Watch the video above to learn how to easily clean your dirty stove grates.
    — Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
  • So, cleaning gadgets that are up to the challenge are a must.
    — Carly Totten, Southern Living, 12 July 2023
  • Plus, tiles are super easy to clean, so bonus points for messy eaters.
    — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 8 June 2023
  • Keep in Mind The design is clunky and difficult to clean.
    — Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2024
  • After being rescued, the pups were brought back to the shelter to be fed and cleaned.
    — Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2024
  • His dad was a brick and block mason; his mom cleaned houses.
    — Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023
  • In the meantime, there’s no obvious way to clean PFAS from food.
    — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 25 July 2023
  • My neighbors have asked me to give them money to clean the leaves from their yard.
    — Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023
  • Edith’s is the only one that looks to have been recently cleaned.
    — Mary Norris, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2023
  • Each one is made from rubber, which is easy to clean and for little ones to grab.
    — Christin Perry, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
  • To clean, simply wipe the upholstery down with a soft, dry cloth.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023
  • And one person writes kind of the initial code and the other person cleans it up or checks it and tests it.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 5 June 2023
  • Still, a 20-minute soak and a trip to the dishwasher easily cleaned residue off the liner.
    — Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Other bags, such as those made of nylon, are best wiped down with a damp cloth or spot cleaned.
    — Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2023
  • This time, Wilson will teach us how to find a public restroom, how to work out, and how to clean your ears.
    — Vulture, 25 May 2023
  • The next-gen facial is not about cleaning your pores, but lifting your face.
    — Rachel Strugatz, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2024
  • The piercer will first clean and prep your skin, using a sterile, single-use pen to mark the spot of your piercing.
    — Madeleine Burry, Health, 1 Feb. 2024
  • Bear in mind that frieze carpets are not the easiest carpets to clean.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2023
  • There was only the hippie kind in the house, perhaps not toxic enough to clean anything.
    — Emma Cline, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
  • There are fewer nooks to clean and this can make even the smallest of bathrooms seem more spacious.
    — Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 31 May 2023
  • Most decanters are fragile and cannot be cleaned in the dishwasher.
    — Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 11 May 2023
  • Add the eggs to a colorful display when each shaving cream egg has been cleaned and dried.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Start by cleaning off sills with a paper towel or cloth soaked in hot water.
    — Jennifer Barger, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
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clean

4 of 4 noun
  • The microfiber pad provides a streak-free clean that can be washed and reused.
    — Katiee McKinstry, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024
  • After a quick clean of the glass, the painting was back on display.
    — Colin Davis, CNN, 26 Oct. 2022
  • Use these leaf-raking tips to make quick work of your fall clean-up.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2021
  • And although s’mores can be a sticky mess, these trays are easy to take apart for an easy clean.
    — Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 6 Dec. 2021
  • Julien's Auctions Like many items in the collection, this one could use a bit of a clean.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2023
  • With cooler weather on the horizon for many, there's no time like the present to give your home a deep clean.
    — Tess Garcia, PEOPLE.com, 29 Aug. 2021
  • The 61-year-old cleans bathrooms and offices at the State Department.
    — Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023
  • This one's enameled for easy clean-up and has handles for easy transferring in and out of the oven.
    — Becca Miller, Good Housekeeping, 20 Oct. 2022
  • Using durable vinyl or leather on the fronts ensures longevity and easy clean-up.
    — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Feb. 2023
  • The non-stick surface is ideal for both food removal and easy clean-up, too.
    — Kristen (kj) Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Dec. 2022
  • And when the dustbin gets full, simply pull it out and empty it into the trash for easy clean-up.
    — Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 16 Oct. 2021
  • Enjoy a safer clean that preserves the quality of your clothes and the planet.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2023
  • Thank you, Juan Luis Guerra, for getting me through many deep cleans.
    — Fabiola Lara, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023
  • After a full day of sweating off your makeup, a deep clean is called for.
    — ELLE, 23 June 2022
  • Nia Jax won this match clean, meaning these two will have at least one more chance to get this right. Omos def.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 31 Aug. 2021
  • Plus, the set is machine washable on a cold setting and can be dried on low heat for an easy clean.
    — Carly Kulzer, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2022
  • Once the worst of the pollen season has passed, use our instructions below for a deep clean of your screens.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2023
  • If little ones spill juice on the cover, simply toss it in the washer for an easy clean.
    — Casey Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2022
  • And its compact head can maneuver into the back of the mouth for a thorough clean.
    — Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 28 June 2023
  • The soft polyamide fabric is quick-drying, and the bathing suit is machine-washable for an easy clean.
    — Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 9 June 2023
  • Keeping your phone clean isn’t hard with the right supplies and a little bit of elbow grease.
    — Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The overalls have side and back pockets and are machine washable for an easy clean.
    — Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 21 Jan. 2024
  • The fruits tend to attract birds and require some clean-up, as do most magnolias.
    — Southern Living, 30 June 2021
  • Get a load of this robot vacuum that picks up and wipes away dust and grime in a single clean.
    — Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 22 Nov. 2022
  • Some spots are for cleaning the serving area during the event, some for kitchen clean-up, and some for cleaning after the event.
    — Kaila White, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2021
  • Due to the lack of sulfates, don’t expect any form of lathering, which is the biggest sell for those who need the clean without the suds.
    — Alexis Gaskin, Marie Claire, 1 Oct. 2021
  • For: Eco-conscious men looking for a thorough clean that won’t rough their skin up.
    — Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
  • That could be anything from a piece of furniture like a pony bench to tile flooring with drainage for easy clean-up.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Aug. 2022
  • The recovery never took place, and souvenir hunters stripped the Keuka clean of finds decades ago.
    — Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2023
  • Companies were deeming these cleans hazardous and in need of a toxic white suit clean up.
    — Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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