Meaning trap

clean up

make a large profit

To earn a lot of money, especially in a short time or from a particular event.

phrasal verbB2occasional

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

make a large profit

To earn a lot of money, especially in a short time or from a particular event.

clean up (make clean)

Another meaning of 'clean up' is 'make clean'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

They really cleaned up at the music festival, selling hundreds of T-shirts.money
Some people believe that companies should not be allowed to clean up by raising prices during emergencies, as it can be unfair to customers.IELTS speaking

Pattern: clean up

WrongThey cleaned up a lot of money.

RightThey cleaned up. / They made a lot of money.

In this sense 'clean up' stands alone (no object) — 'clean up a lot of money' mixes it with the tidying sense.

Patternclean up

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff The investors earned an extremely large profit on the deal.

Natural The investors absolutely cleaned up on that deal.

'Clean up' is the casual verb for making a killing; the formal paraphrase loses the buzz.

Words that usually travel with it.

Not about making something tidy—this sense is about financial success.

clean up (make clean) — Another meaning of 'clean up' is 'make clean'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.