mops up
Clears the spill
Mops up is the third-person singular of mop up, which means to clean remaining liquid with a mop or absorbent material: She mops up the spilled milk with a towel.
Figuratively, it means to finish off or eliminate what remains: The army mops up the last pockets of resistance.
In casual use, someone who mops up handles the final details or claims whatever's left.
- wipeRub to clean
- spilled milkIrreversible minor accident
- sweepBrush clean with broom
- floorIndoor walking surface
- scrubClean by rubbing hard
water · rinse · soak · cleaning crew · finalize · accounts for · salvage · resolve · rectify · eliminates · consolidate · settle · reconcile · conclude · defeats · cleanup · cloth · recover