clean up phrasal verbphr v a) CLEANto make a place completely clean and tidy 打掃幹淨;清理We spent all Saturday morning cleaning up. 我們整個星期六上午都在進行打掃。
clean something ↔ upplans to clean up the beaches 清理海灘的計劃
afterJohn always expects other people to clean up after him (=to make a place clean after he has used it). 約翰總是指望别人跟在他後面幫他打掃。
b) WASHto wash yourself after you have got very dirty 把〔身體〕洗幹淨clean yourself upLet me just go clean myself up. 讓我去洗一洗。
Dad’s upstairs getting cleaned up. 爸爸在樓上洗澡。
c) clean up your act informalBEHAVE to start behaving sensibly and responsibly 改掉不良行爲Some companies could face heavy fines if they fail to clean up their act. 一些公司如果再不糾正不良做法就要面臨重罰。
d) informalPROFIT to win a lot of money or make a lot of money in a business deal 赢得一大筆錢;賺大錢He cleaned up at the races yesterday. 他昨天在賽馬場上赢了一大筆。
e) GOOD/MORAL clean something ↔ up to improve moral standards in a place or organization 肅清某事,整頓某事It’s high time British soccer cleaned up its image. 英國足球界該改善一下自己的形象了。
→ clean-upclean up• Do you want me to help clean up?• It took us two or three days to clean it all up.• The management of some our prisons has sometimes been corrupt, and it is our job to clean it up.• Every time Jasper cooked for me, he would carefully clean up all the pans and plates he'd used.• Most clubs have made a big effort to clean up football's image.• Thanks for cleaning the place up -- I really appreciate it.• It's time someone cleaned up this city; we have one of the highest crime rates in the country. clean up your act• Naming and shaming remains an option should the company not clean up its act.• Citibank insists it has cleaned up its act.• Drivers whose vehicles give off more poisonous chemicals than are allowed have ten days to clean up their act.• More recently Lou has cleaned up his act and started setting the world to rights.• Legislation aimed at forcing the power firms to clean up their act is being fought tooth and nail by the polluters.• But he eventually sees their potential and cleans up his act just in time.• The industry was effectively warned to clean up its act or face legislation.• Gwen finally told her troubled son to clean up his act or get out of her house.• She told her son to clean up his act or move out.• Tish has really cleaned up her act - she doesn't drink or smoke pot any more.• Despite Mr Haider's grandiose, unbelievable last-minute pledges to clean up his act, there should be no wavering. cleaned up ... image• About two years ago Autobacs cleaned up its oily-rag image.