mopping up
Final cleanup phase
Mopping up is the final stage of cleaning or completing a task—dealing with what remains after the main work is done.
Military forces mop up by eliminating scattered enemy resistance after a battle.
More generally, it means handling loose ends: We spent Friday mopping up details before the launch.
The image is of a mop sweeping up the last of a spill.
- remnantsWhat stays after most goes
- stragglersThose who fall behind
- loose endsUnresolved matters needing attention
- tying upSecuring with cord
- scrubbingCleaning by rubbing hard
washing · sweeping up · spilled milk · aftermath · wipe · neutralizing · eliminating · tidying · finishing · rout · polishing · dirty work · wrapping up · finalizing · wiping · concluding · wringing · suppression
- removing excesspruning, trimming, skimming, draining, filtering
- dryingdrying, air drying, sun drying, freeze drying, dehydrating
- military tacticstactics, flanking, maneuver, ambush, battle formations
mopping upinvasion
Forcible entry into territory
advance · first wave · first strike · spearheading · breakthrough
mopping upspilling
Liquid flowing over edges
making a mess · splattering · spreading · dirtying · soiling
mop, clean up, mopping, mops, mopped, cleanup, swabbing, mopper, moppers