clean out

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clean out (third-person singular simple present cleans out, present participle cleaning out, simple past and past participle cleaned out)

1. (transitive) To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents.

   Clean out your purse and at least get rid of all the trash you're hauling around.

2. (transitive, idiomatic) To empty completely; to remove all money or possessions from. (newer, humorous version is take to the cleaner's)

   The divorce cleaned him out.

   • 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:

     "Well, looks like you just about cleaned everbody out, fella. You haven't lost a hand since you lost the deal."

3. (transitive, dated, slang) To hit or strike (someone); to beat (someone) up.
   • 2000, Antonia Logue, Shadow-Box‎:

     could have cleaned him out with an uppercut to the side of his head.