to mop up
1
3.3
- phrasal verb
- /mɑp ʌp/
- Informal
:
rematar
- The committee met again to mop up loose ends before the final report was submitted.
You know, so we, we head up and, and get to my office and, you know, I start mopping up the rest of what's there.
- You know, so we, we head up and, and get to my office and, you know, I start mopping up the rest of what's there.
Examples
-
Sharky mopped up late at Juanita's bar, but his main source of income was scavenging.
Fiction book (2001) -
After that, we mop up Jap positions and Gavabutu is secured.
-
So the rest of this is sort of what I would call mopping up a lot of details.
-
We might have to mop up a little.
-
We basically mop up after someone has been murdered.
Fiction book (2000) -
You know, so we, we head up and, and get to my office and, you know, I start mopping up the rest of what's there.
-
The difficulty is you have to mop up what you can't see.
-
"There's a lot of mopping up to do, and I thought he could take care of some of that for Hayes and me.
Fiction book (1998) -
Stunned, I mopped up the absinthe with my handkerchief.
Fiction book (1998) -
After the project was completed, we stayed late to mop up the remaining tasks.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To bring something to an end or complete it
∞
1.0
To finish something or make it whole
333
2.7
To finish dealing with things and put them in order
226
3.0
Finish an activity or task
190
2.0
To complete an activity or task
128
3.3
To finish a difficult or long task
74
3.8
Complete the last details to make something ready
31
2.5
To complete the last part of a task
22
3.3
Finish the last small details to complete something
17
3.7
Bring an activity or meeting to an end
15
1.8
Complete all the work needed for a task
12
2.6
To finish tasks completely so nothing is left
11
4.0
To complete something by adding the final touches
6
3.6
Finish small remaining tasks and problems before ending a project
4
3.8
To finish something quickly and easily, for example a meal or a task
1
5.3
To finish something unpleasant so you stop worrying
Antonyms
How Complete
∞
1.0
- US
74
3.8
- Informal
1
3.3
31
2.5
226
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
mop + up
The core sense is partly derivable: 'mop' (to clean/wipe) combined with 'up' (a particle indicating completion) yields the idea of cleaning/finishing something completely. However, the noun sense 'a final action to finish off' often involves a metaphorical extension (e.g., mop-up operation) and requires recognizing 'up' as a perfective particle, so learners may not fully predict all extended uses without prior exposure.
Etymology
Mop up: The verb mop up comes from the image of doing the last cleaning with a mop to remove small bits left behind. That's why it now means 'to finish something completely' or deal with the last parts of a job.