English

Verb

to mop up ‎(phrasal verb)

1. To clean up with a mop; especially to clean up a spill or mess.

   Please mop up the spilled milk.

   • April 19 2002, Scott Tobias, AV Club Fightville

     And though Fightville, an MMA documentary from the directors of the fine Iraq War doc Gunner Palace, presents it more than fairly, the sight of a makeshift ring getting constructed on a Louisiana rodeo ground does little to shake the label. Nor do the shots of ringside assistants with spray bottles and rags, mopping up the blood between rounds

2. (idiomatic) To fix problems; to correct or repair.

   After they argued, it fell to me to talk to her and try to mop up.

   • 2011 March 2, Andy Campbell, “Celtic 1 - 0 Rangers”, in BBC:

     Diouf rounded Zaluska near the byeline and crossed but Daniel Majstorovic headed away and Celtic eventually mopped up the danger.

3. (transitive) To clear the leftovers of a dish, in order to eat them.
   • 2003, Jeff Call, Rolling With the Tide Page 112

     He mopped up the sauce with the bread and scarfed it down like he had been raised by wolves.

Derived terms

• mop up the floor with somebody

Translations