I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a clean fuel (= fuel that does not harm the environment )
▪
The proposal is to cut tax on cars that run on clean fuel.
a clean/dirty environment
▪
People who live in a very clean environment may have a lower immunity to germs.
brush off/wash off/clean off the dirt
▪
Wash the dirt off those boots before you come in.
clean clothes
▪
I had no clean clothes.
clean energy (= which does not cause pollution )
▪
Iceland possesses sufficient quantities of clean energy sources that it does not need to rely on fossil fuels.
clean forget American English (= completely forget )
▪
He meant to invite Monica, but he clean forgot.
clean the floor
▪
Next he had to clean the floor.
clean up the environment
▪
It’s about time that we started cleaning up the environment.
clean up your image (= improve your image after it has been damaged )
▪
The pop star promised to clean up his image after he was released from prison.
clean
▪
His nails were neat and clean.
clean
▪
London’s air is cleaner than it has been at any time since 1585.
clean
▪
Millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water.
clean/bathe a wound
▪
She finished cleaning the wound and began bandaging the arm.
clean/blank sheet of paper (= one with no writing on it )
clean/dirty laundry
▪
a bag of dirty laundry
clean/polish your shoes
▪
We used to clean our shoes every evening before we went to bed.
clear/clean up the mess
▪
Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately!
do the shopping/cleaning/ironing/cooking etc
▪
Who does the cooking in your family?
dry cleaner's
dry/clean
▪
I changed him into a dry nappy.
good clean fun British English (= not offensive or not involving sex )
▪
The show is good clean fun for all the family.
keep sth clean/tidy
▪
Keep your room tidy.
neat and clean
▪
His clothes were always neat and clean .
need a (good) wash/clean/cut etc (= ought to be washed, cleaned etc )
▪
His hair needs a wash.
nice and warm/clean/easy/quiet etc
▪
The house seemed nice and tidy.
pipe cleaner
scraped...clean
▪
The two of them scraped their dishes clean .
scrubbed clean
▪
The table needs to be scrubbed clean .
sparkling clean
▪
a sparkling clean kitchen
spotlessly clean
▪
The whole house was spotlessly clean .
steam clean
straight/right/clean through
▪
The bullet passed straight through his skull.
vacuum cleaner
window cleaner
wipe/clean your glasses
▪
Harry wiped his glasses with the corner of a handkerchief.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
scrupulously
▪
Keep clothes scrupulously clean and well-cared for.
▪
He was dressed in a scrupulously clean but threadbare dhoti and he wore a pale blue turban which exactly matched his eyes.
spotlessly
▪
Bull leaned out of the window, gripping the edge of the crumbling sill with spotlessly clean hands.
▪
It's wide and white and spotlessly clean , and they take their Christmas very seriously.
▪
Aggie was a spotlessly clean woman who prided herself on her housekeeping.
▪
Owned by the municipality of Funchal, the whole facility is kept spotlessly clean .
▪
All this is exquisitely landscaped, spotlessly clean and gives the impression of being the work of an inspired, efficient dictator.
▪
Luckily, the Palace's spotlessly clean and well furnished rooms provide the perfect haven for a late siesta before dinner.
▪
The pension is simply furnished, but spotlessly clean and very friendly.
▪
Everything in our house was spotlessly clean .
very
▪
The basin in the corner was also very clean .
▪
This meant that the interior of the longhouse was very clean .
▪
Overall it's a very clean smooth shape.
▪
First, let me say that I think Lute Olson runs a very clean program.
▪
Both Maid Marian and Holy War are very clean engines and little smoke can be seen even when working hard.
▪
A not very clean handkerchief trailed from the top pocket.
▪
Rooms are very clean , bright, triple-glazed and air-conditioned-some even have en-suite facilities.
▪
The tank contains a mixture of community fish and a Plec which keeps the tank very clean .
■ NOUN
air
▪
There was that sudden, breathtaking chill of cold, clean air as you walked into the dome.
▪
Environmentalists have spread the alarm about clean air and water.
▪
Such procedures should aim to ensure efficient operation and the provision of fresh, clean air .
▪
Where is there more opportunity to enjoy the elemental values of living, bright sun and clean air and space?
▪
Her hair flew out behind her, and the clean air struck her face.
▪
When the whole rotor system is spinning in clean air , it suddenly lifts very strongly-translational lift.
▪
It was waiting lists, it was good, clean air , preserving community, the back-to-backs condemned.
▪
I open the windows of my truck wide, to smell the fresh clean air .
bill
▪
The influential Bell study gave them largely a clean bill of health as a model for determining disputes concerning entitlement to benefit.
▪
And with a clean bill of health, Granato is promising to be same kind of performer he always was.
▪
A clean bill of health has certainly helped, while the catches, crucially, have been sticking.
▪
If the ship was given a clean bill of health, Customs Officials went on board.
▪
They gave it a clean bill of health.
▪
Charles ended up with a clean bill of health and a parking ticket.
▪
Still, clean bills of health come easily from an impoverished medical system that revolves around pseudo-medicine and bribes.
break
▪
In such cases a clean break at 16+ removed many existing constraints and frustrations.
▪
It was best to make a clean break .
▪
Men may suffer just as much when a relationship fails, but they seem able to make a cleaner break .
▪
He says it indicates a clean break with a stupid and superstitious past.
▪
Gossip has it that his wife had recently left him and he wanted to make a clean break .
▪
The adoption of an economy based on farming did not effect a clean break .
▪
And this year the association has tried to make a clean break from the past.
▪
Half of her wanted to get the journey and the parting over, to make a quick, clean break .
clothes
▪
Then I took my bag into a loo and took everything off and changed into clean clothes .
▪
Ralph dressed carefully for the visit, in clean clothes .
▪
She pulled on one of the towelling robes and wandered back into the bedroom, selecting clean clothes .
▪
I went home and showered and shaved and put on clean clothes .
▪
Besides, Ma would be glad of the clean clothes .
▪
Kat and I searched our packs for our cleanest clothes .
▪
He's never given enough clean clothes and he's chastised for the slightest thing.
▪
Think how nice it would be to have on clean clothes and not literally smell like a goat.
cut
▪
Don't shorten the stems, just tidy them to a clean cut , and do the same with any broken roots.
▪
Where Clinton is rugged and earthy, Gore is clean cut and preppy.
▪
That was something I could understand, and approve of - to make a clean cut .
▪
I drew it downwards with a clean cut .
▪
He had a few days growth of stubble but something about him was fundamentally clean cut .
▪
They give a clean cut , keeping plants healthy and strong.
▪
More teeth give a cleaner cut , and are better for cutting across the grain if a really smooth finish is required.
▪
Each bundle is then clipped with garden shears to give a clean cut .
environment
▪
Secondly, high technology industries are footloose - products such as microchips are easy to transport, and thrive in a clean environment .
▪
Nothing more dramatic than a cleaner environment .
▪
Preferences in politics can include anything from higher wages, a cleaner environment , world peace, or the realization of democracy.
▪
By investing in public transport, we start to transform commuters' lives and create a cleaner environment .
▪
New Zealand farmers have one big advantage in any marketing campaign: their country's sparklingly clean environment .
▪
Even the most affluent - who can afford private health care and private education - can not buy a clean environment .
▪
Indeed, that is what all pollution control is about - people paying to live in a cleaner environment .
fuel
▪
The Government has made moves to encourage owners of vehicles to adopt cleaner fuel , but action is slow.
▪
While this step awaits technical advances, cleaner fuels for cars and lorries, such as methanol, are urged for immediate use.
▪
Gas usage will increase particularly in the home-heating sectors and in industries requiring clean fuels .
▪
A great deal of research effort is going into overcoming hydrogen's shortcomings, mainly because it's such a clean fuel .
hand
▪
Bull leaned out of the window, gripping the edge of the crumbling sill with spotlessly clean hands .
▪
Out of this sordid mix of political short-sightedness and commercial greed, no government emerges with clean hands .
▪
The patient himself may pick one up with clean hands , but no one else.
▪
No one comes to the bargaining table with thoroughly clean hands , but we can be thankful that they still show up.
▪
Their support is based on a belief that the left governments have clean hands and have improved municipal services.
▪
I wish I had discovered his method of undertaking glassfibre repairs with clean hands and no brush years ago.
pair
▪
In a separate incident, Ferguson also showed Irvine a clean pair of heels.
▪
I put on a clean pair of socks.
plate
▪
The March Hare poured a little hot tea on its nose, and the Hatter began to look for a clean plate .
▪
All that your hosts ask is that you observe some simple decorum and take a clean plate each time.
▪
He watches her in the yard with her cloth and bucket, as she kneels to tackle the clean plates .
▪
Maybe because the routine of washing-up is basically enjoyable - hot water and clean plates at the end of it.
sheet
▪
If we started with a clean sheet of paper we would not plan it that way.
▪
They are treading unfamiliar ground in the relegation zone and have failed to keep a clean sheet this season.
▪
Also there is some funny rule regarding how long a player must be on the pitch to claim a clean sheet .
▪
A clean sheet of blotting paper should be in the blotter. 5.
▪
Bagshaw gave himself a clean sheet on all these points.
▪
He copied it on to a clean sheet of paper.
▪
Liverpool can not afford to concede a goal tonight-and James has yet to keep a clean sheet .
▪
It was also a good day for goalkeeper Graham Brown, who kept five clean sheets .
shirt
▪
I wear a tang of aftershave and a clean shirt .
▪
When he reached into his dresser drawer that morning, Jeffrey Pyle says, all he wanted was a clean shirt .
▪
The parquet was shined, the table-cloths starched and the waiters had clean shirts .
▪
They washed at a pump behind the church, and each child was dressed in a clean shirt .
▪
Fresh hose a clean shirt , a cup of claret, a meat pie and a manchet loaf!
▪
He got out of bed and put his clothes on, the same clothes but a clean shirt .
▪
Ensure each male arrives at the party freshly showered and with a clean shirt .
▪
When he was dressed, in a clean shirt and a fresh suit, he telephoned Inspector Lane.
slate
▪
The bambina hardly knows me, let's give her, too, a start on a clean slate .
▪
Many academics really do believe that all of us are now beginning once again with a clean slate .
▪
The new-born child is virtually a clean slate , to be written on by the world.
▪
Orson Pratt, one of the originals, stressed the clean slate of history on which they wrote.
▪
Although there is never a clean slate on which to start planning, the new start provides the necessity for such planning.
▪
He wanted to use the subsidiary as a totally clean slate and he wanted true collaboration from the beginning.
▪
When things go wrong Many people today believe that children begin life with a clean slate .
▪
Standard variable cost is better as any inefficiencies stay in the transferring division and the receiving division starts with a clean slate .
sweep
▪
Now is the time to make a clean sweep of all the jobs you put off during the bad weather.
▪
I had made up my mind at the Scenic Overlook to make a clean sweep through the house.
▪
A clean sweep , that was what was needed.
▪
The poll also pointed to a clean sweep for the Democrats in elections for lieutenant-governor and attorney-general.
▪
Worrell averaged 83 with the bat, leading his team to only the fourth 5-0 clean sweep in Test history.
▪
But he failed to achieve a clean sweep of the end-of-season awards.
▪
Lismore's minor outfit were beaten 21-14 by Notra Dame to destroy chances of a clean sweep .
water
▪
Then they went into another tank of clean water and from there into an oven to dry.
▪
Ultraviolet light, hydrogen peroxide and ozone assure crystal-clear, clean water .
▪
Local government has not been able to supply clean water from surface sources.
▪
While toy sales here have hit a record high they face a desperate shortage of clean water .
▪
The clean water can then flow back into the river.
▪
Alternatively, you will need to empty the bath and refill it with clean water .
▪
Hands should be washed afterwards in clean water .
▪
Drain peas, place in a large pan and cover with plenty of clean water . 2.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Mr Clean
come clean
▪
And when you picked hold of the fish and got hold of a piece it would come clean away.
▪
He felt happy to finally be able to come clean about it, but he felt her withdraw.
▪
In addition, you risk being fired when you come clean, another attorney pointed out.
▪
Labour will not come clean with its figures, so it is bound to describe ours as jiggery-pokery.
▪
So when the station came clean, they had to field several angry calls accusing them of pro-Nottingham Forest bias.
▪
Still, I must come clean.
▪
That is all very well, but why does he not come clean and give us Labour's figures?
▪
That night, at dinner, David and I came clean, and told our friends about singing to fish.
give sb/sth a clean bill of health
▪
Maddox was given a clean bill of health by his doctor.
▪
If the ship was given a clean bill of health, Customs Officials went on board.
▪
The influential Bell study gave them largely a clean bill of health as a model for determining disputes concerning entitlement to benefit.
▪
They gave it a clean bill of health.
go (right/clean) out of sb's mind
▪
She said she was going out of her mind in California.
keep your nose clean
▪
He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.
▪
It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.
▪
But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.
▪
But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.
make a clean breast of it/things
▪
He needs to go before the public and make a clean breast of it.
pick sth clean
show (sb) a clean pair of heels
spanking clean
take sb to the cleaner's
the cleaner's
wipe the slate clean
▪
It would be nice if we could wipe the slate clean and start over.
▪
First among these was the introduction of penances which, it was hoped, would wipe the slate clean.
▪
We must start wiping the slate clean of all such inner accounting.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
clean -burning natural gas
▪
Clean air and water is a necessity of life.
▪
a clean towel
▪
A large house is difficult to keep clean .
▪
Are your hands clean ?
▪
Cats are very clean animals.
▪
Dave's been clean for over a year now.
▪
Drivers with clean driving records pay less in insurance.
▪
Everyone wants a clean and honest election.
▪
Fortunately, the glass made a clean cut on his leg.
▪
Gene always has the cleanest desk in the office.
▪
He's been asked to tell some jokes in his speech but he's got to keep it clean .
▪
He changed into a clean shirt.
▪
I'll put some clean sheets on the bed.
▪
I couldn't get the tiles any cleaner.
▪
Join us tomorrow night for an evening of good clean fun.
▪
Monica is what I would call a clean freak.
▪
Our hotel room was lovely and clean .
▪
the clean lines of Morrison's drawings
▪
the car's clean style
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
He smelt clean and I shut my eyes.
▪
Instead, they should provide the user with clean needles and information to help avoid infection.
▪
Nothing more dramatic than a cleaner environment.
▪
The Emperor, however, envisaged a city which was not only light and clean but also full of air.
▪
The graphics in Duke are cleaner, but they have a cartoon-like feel to them.
▪
They should be soft, clean , and even colored.
▪
This results in a clean , undistorted image which looks like it's come out of a laser printer rather than a fax machine.
II. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
act
▪
More recently Lou has cleaned up his act and started setting the world to rights.
▪
Citibank insists it has cleaned up its act .
▪
The industry was effectively warned to clean up its act or face legislation.
▪
Naming and shaming remains an option should the company not clean up its act .
▪
But he eventually sees their potential and cleans up his act just in time.
▪
Despite Mr Haider's grandiose, unbelievable last-minute pledges to clean up his act , there should be no wavering.
▪
Drivers whose vehicles give off more poisonous chemicals than are allowed have ten days to clean up their act .
▪
Legislation aimed at forcing the power firms to clean up their act is being fought tooth and nail by the polluters.
air
▪
Creating new technologies to clean up the air could actually spur economic growth rather than burden it.
▪
Areas with severe pollution have longer deadlines to clean up their air , but must take much stronger steps.
▪
How have growing cities such as Albuquerque and Portland managed to clean up their air ?
area
▪
You may prefer to use a flannel to clean this area , as this will afford greater control.
▪
Start by cleaning the area of built-up dirt, paint or deteriorated caulk.
▪
An aerosol foam shampoo is useful for cleaning small areas .
▪
However Darlington was one of the first towns to apply to the Public Health Board to clean up its area .
car
▪
Another victim of the household siren was a Colorado man who was ensnared while cleaning his car in his underpants.
▪
Glancing towards the car park, I am transfixed by the sight of a man in a flat cap cleaning our car.
▪
I think he likes to clean the car .
▪
He got up and went outside to clean the car .
▪
Mr Browning said it was probably a bird he hit on the way, and later cleaned the car .
▪
Top tips for a fun Father's Day Pride and joy Offer to clean his car both inside and out.
▪
Nearly a quarter of men clean out their cars once a month whereas nearly three in four women do it less frequently.
floor
▪
Let's just shove everything back into the cupboards, clean the floor and go.
▪
They call cleaning the floors training!
▪
They were chatting about the weekend while Diana, ever the Cinderella, was on her knees cleaning the kitchen floor .
▪
Castors, as well as being a straight forward mobility device, also help with kitchen hygiene when it is time to clean the floor .
▪
She put Tom's body in the bath and cleaned the floor .
▪
There's this man on this big white car thing going round cleaning the floor .
▪
These vans keep coming and going and the man on the cleaning machine is having another go at cleaning the floor .
house
▪
The house had been cleaned as well as was possible.
▪
Apparently partisan house cleaning and patronage pay-offs are considered routine at the Corporation Commission.
image
▪
Naturally the publicity machine is already at work trying to clean up Phillips' image .
▪
About two years ago Autobacs cleaned up its oily-rag image .
▪
Several of the world's largest companies now spend more on cleaning up their image than on promoting their products.
mess
▪
He then commanded one of his daughters-in-law to clean up the mess .
▪
But they are merely marginal figures that mostly clean up the mess .
▪
Mr Marland wants action to clean up the mess once and for all.
▪
The use of public funds to clean up the jusen mess will be the main focus of the session.
▪
Scientists are now drawing up plans to clean up the mess .
▪
Just write and go back later to clean up the mess .
▪
Now taxpayers must pay hundreds of billions of dollars to clean up the mess left by under-capitalised thrifts.
▪
When a child cleans up her mess , thank her.
plate
▪
At each meal she willingly cleaned her plate , eating ice cream and fried chicken until she felt bloated.
▪
A start is to ignore the old Depression-era paternal messages about cleaning your plate .
▪
While the other plebes were bitching about the chow, Eddie cleaned his plate .
room
▪
Grimsdale's eldest daughter cleaned the room briefly with a broom and the rest of the children scurried about the house.
▪
The maids in their navy-blue uniforms and white ruffled aprons took twice as long to clean his room .
▪
We all worked extremely hard in the next few days, cleaning all the rooms and preparing the food.
▪
By daybreak, they are working together, cleaning up their rooms .
▪
She cleaned up the room , did not even hear his curses, and thought how nothing could affect her any longer.
▪
An organized raid could clean up in that room , right down to the rubies and diamonds in their noses.
▪
She cleaned his room while he lay moving his arms about, as if he had forgotten how to do it.
▪
Would your children rather clean their rooms than raid the refrigerator for a snack?
site
▪
Bioremediation appears to be a very attractive, and in many cases a cost-effective way of cleaning up many contaminated sites .
▪
It was ordered to clean up the site and spent $ 211, 000 doing so.
▪
Bioremediation is being evaluated by both industry and the US-EPA as one technology for cleaning up hazardous waste sites .
▪
The parents mouth the little larvae out of their shells to move them to clean site .
▪
Second, the technology for cleaning a site , rather than simply sealing it, is still inadequate and expensive.
▪
They could also find themselves having to pay to clean up pollution on sites they have bought.
▪
Most of the debate about cleaning contaminated sites has concentrated on the Superfund programme.
spring
▪
When the staff knew he was coming to visit the school the whole place was spring cleaned .
tooth
▪
And evidence shows that women feel more inhibited by things like not having cleaned their teeth or feeling grubby.
▪
Always make sure you clean your teeth properly, using a small-headed brush and only a pea-sized blob of toothpaste.
▪
It was the water, the other reporters said, but she couldn't clean her teeth in beer.
▪
How often do you clean your teeth , Miss Harland?
▪
For the first time in her adult life, Polly went to bed without bathing or cleaning her teeth .
▪
She looked like a virgin who cleaned her teeth after every meal and delighted to take great bites from rosy apples.
▪
Back in the en suite bathroom, he briskly cleans his teeth and brushes his hair.
▪
Only drink bottled water - check the seal hasn't been broken - and use it to clean your teeth .
vacuum
▪
For safety and efficiency, clear the loft and prepare the wood by vacuum cleaning it.
▪
Dust extraction plant had been installed and a vacuum cleaning system became operational.
window
▪
After she had polished the furniture, she cleaned the windows .
▪
All the windows and paintwork need cleaning much more often than normal.
▪
He was to hold on to the window sash while cleaning .
▪
It's quite a job, keeping the windows clean on Integrity 2.
▪
He ran out of sponsorship money and had to take on odd jobs like window cleaning to fund his Formula Three programme.
■ VERB
need
▪
Quite decent things, hopelessly botched, needing to be made clean again.
▪
The rooms needed repairs and cleaning , so the school remained outdoors for some weeks.
▪
This means the aquarium will not need cleaning as often as a less densely planted one.
▪
All the windows and paintwork need cleaning much more often than normal.
▪
Preparation consists of cleaning and degreasing: iron and steel need to be cleaned of rust.
▪
The finer the foam, or the smaller the cartridge, the more often it will need cleaning .
start
▪
Burun started to clean the cuts on Suragai's hands.
▪
The decent folks in that town are again starting to clean it up by themselves.
▪
When you are quite happy and confident with your untidy loops you can start to clean them up a little.
▪
Below decks, Grace was shipshape, but after calling on Lord Jim Nenna always felt impelled to start cleaning the bright-work.
▪
I thought, how can I look busy9 I started cleaning up the desk and putting in more files.
▪
Babushka said she would do this and, waving goodbye to the kings, started to clean her cabin.
▪
Everything was spotless and new, even before Mama started cleaning .
try
▪
It wiped the spittle, trying to clean off the dirt.
▪
I am trying to clean it so that we can move in.
▪
It was hard to believe twelve stones and I tried to clean the lens.
▪
He looked for his black shoes, found them plaster-dust white, tried to clean them off.
▪
I tried to clean it out with a trolley.
▪
Some of us took our shirts off and dipped them over the side and tried to clean them.
▪
For a while my wife and I were helpless with laughter, but trying to clean up afterwards taught us a lesson!
▪
Naturally the publicity machine is already at work trying to clean up Phillips' image.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Mr Clean
give sb/sth a clean bill of health
▪
Maddox was given a clean bill of health by his doctor.
▪
If the ship was given a clean bill of health, Customs Officials went on board.
▪
The influential Bell study gave them largely a clean bill of health as a model for determining disputes concerning entitlement to benefit.
▪
They gave it a clean bill of health.
go (right/clean) out of sb's mind
▪
She said she was going out of her mind in California.
keep your nose clean
▪
He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.
▪
It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.
▪
But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.
▪
But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.
lovely and warm/fresh/clean etc
▪
All that changed, as inevitably it had to, but it was lovely and warm and fulfilling while it lasted.
▪
I always keep the heater on upstairs, so it's always lovely and warm.
make a clean breast of it/things
▪
He needs to go before the public and make a clean breast of it.
spanking clean
squeaky clean
▪
a squeaky clean kitchen
▪
He's a squeaky clean kid -- doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs or anything.
▪
John has a squeaky clean reputation.
▪
The floor is squeaky clean.
▪
Equally, all customers are not squeaky clean, so there's quite often a story to be told from both sides.
▪
How squeaky clean can I get?
▪
It's juice running down chins, fingers instead of forks, plates licked squeaky clean and belts loosened around waists.
▪
Not just as squeaky clean, boring Ewan Famber but as a man.
▪
The beginning of the main strip in Shelbyville is a squeaky clean residential area.
▪
This kind of possibility is a new experience for a city where the police department has always been viewed as squeaky clean.
▪
Verily, Jacob's Mouse are squeaky clean.
▪
Within minutes, Tamika, squeaky clean for the first time in days, is proudly pulling the clothing on.
take sb to the cleaner's
the cleaner's
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
How often do you clean the kitchen?
▪
I clean the windows every Saturday.
▪
I always clean my teeth last thing at night.
▪
I need to clean the bathtub.
▪
I usually clean the windows about once a month.
▪
Make sure you clean behind the stove.
▪
Manion cleaned his desk and answered a few emails before leaving for the day.
▪
She's busy cleaning.
▪
Simply place the whole cleaned fish in a greased pan.
▪
There was mud all over the carpet, and it took me a long time to clean it up.
▪
Tony was cleaning the inside of his car.
▪
We've hired a maid to clean our house.
▪
Where's that stuff you use for cleaning the bathtub?
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
I wish I'd stayed at home to clean the oven after all.
▪
Sloan had been glancing at his watch and reminding them that he had to clean up the house.
▪
The princess: She was very good and cleaned and cooked for her brothers in their cottage even though she was royalty.
III. adverb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ VERB
come
▪
The key is this: he who can come clean cheapest should have an incentive to do so.
forget
▪
Not only that, but she had been so upset, she had clean forgotten to plug Galactic Outbursts.
▪
The people, it appeared, had clean forgotten what war meant.
▪
I clean forgot to put them in!
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Mr Clean
come clean
▪
And when you picked hold of the fish and got hold of a piece it would come clean away.
▪
He felt happy to finally be able to come clean about it, but he felt her withdraw.
▪
In addition, you risk being fired when you come clean, another attorney pointed out.
▪
Labour will not come clean with its figures, so it is bound to describe ours as jiggery-pokery.
▪
So when the station came clean, they had to field several angry calls accusing them of pro-Nottingham Forest bias.
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Still, I must come clean.
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That is all very well, but why does he not come clean and give us Labour's figures?
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That night, at dinner, David and I came clean, and told our friends about singing to fish.
give sb/sth a clean bill of health
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Maddox was given a clean bill of health by his doctor.
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If the ship was given a clean bill of health, Customs Officials went on board.
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The influential Bell study gave them largely a clean bill of health as a model for determining disputes concerning entitlement to benefit.
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They gave it a clean bill of health.
go (right/clean) out of sb's mind
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She said she was going out of her mind in California.
keep your nose clean
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He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.
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It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.
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But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.
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But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.
lovely and warm/fresh/clean etc
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All that changed, as inevitably it had to, but it was lovely and warm and fulfilling while it lasted.
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I always keep the heater on upstairs, so it's always lovely and warm.
make a clean breast of it/things
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He needs to go before the public and make a clean breast of it.
pick sth clean
show (sb) a clean pair of heels
spanking clean
squeaky clean
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a squeaky clean kitchen
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He's a squeaky clean kid -- doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs or anything.
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John has a squeaky clean reputation.
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The floor is squeaky clean.
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Equally, all customers are not squeaky clean, so there's quite often a story to be told from both sides.
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How squeaky clean can I get?
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It's juice running down chins, fingers instead of forks, plates licked squeaky clean and belts loosened around waists.
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Not just as squeaky clean, boring Ewan Famber but as a man.
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The beginning of the main strip in Shelbyville is a squeaky clean residential area.
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This kind of possibility is a new experience for a city where the police department has always been viewed as squeaky clean.
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Verily, Jacob's Mouse are squeaky clean.
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Within minutes, Tamika, squeaky clean for the first time in days, is proudly pulling the clothing on.
take sb to the cleaner's
the cleaner's
wipe the slate clean
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It would be nice if we could wipe the slate clean and start over.
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First among these was the introduction of penances which, it was hoped, would wipe the slate clean.
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We must start wiping the slate clean of all such inner accounting.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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I clean forgot to put them in!
IV. noun
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Her husband does most of the cleaning.
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I spent the whole weekend cleaning.