clean house
The phrase "clean house" has both literal and figurative meanings, used in various contexts from household chores to organizational reform and even winning decisively.
Definition
A2Household
(literal)To clean and organize the interior of a home.
Example
- Every Saturday, she likes to clean house to start the week fresh.
B2Workplace
(idiomatic)To remove undesirable personnel or practices from an organization to improve its efficiency.
Example
- The new CEO decided to clean house to boost the company's performance.
B2Sports and Competitions
(slang)To win overwhelmingly or achieve a significant victory.
Example
- The underdog team cleaned house at the championship, surprising everyone.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "clean house":
clean outspring cleaningclean upclean downclean sweepkeep housesweep outclear output one's house in orderdeep cleanclear the decksclean up afterclean slatedeep cleaningtake out the trashscrub outbroom upsweep upclean feedsweep awayclear the neighborhoodtake to the cleanersforcing housemop upclear awayroot outclear uphose downcome cleansweep the boardwipe outscrub downbeat the dust