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clean out
verb
to remove (something) (from or away from)
slangto leave (someone) with no money
gambling had cleaned him out
informalto exhaust (stocks, goods, etc) completely
Idioms and Phrases
See clean up , def. 1.
Empty something of its contents, leave bare. For example, The crows cleaned out the whole field of corn , or At the shop's first sale the customers cleaned out the entire stock of shoes . [Mid-1800s]
Deprive of money or other material resources. This usage originated in gambling, where it signified losing one's last stake. Charles Dickens had it in Oliver Twist (1838): “He has cleaned me out, but I can go and earn some more.” [Early 1800s]
Drive out by force, as in The new CEO tried to get away with cleaning out all employees over the age of 60 . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Peterson was said to be one of several teachers on campus cleaning out their classrooms for the summer break when she was killed, according to the news release.
Smith also noted that O’Neal had been drinking olive oil to clean out his system, saying, “Oh, he’s cleaning out his gut all right!”
The US president vowed that his country would take control of the Gaza Strip, having earlier pledged the territory would also be "cleaned out" and emptied of its Palestinian population.
"I felt pretty good. Anytime you can keep a card clean out here, it's a really good thing," Scheffler said.
When someone asked me how I was, I’d answer, “I’m cleaning out my closet.”
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