clean house

clean house

1. To rid a group or organization of the people or policies that are deemed to be troublesome or lacking. After five losing seasons, the owner cleaned house, firing the team's general manager and the entire coaching staff.

2. To strike one violently. If you humiliate me like this again, I'll clean house on you.

See also: clean, house

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

clean house

1. Wipe out corruption or inefficiency, as in It's time the Republican Party cleaned house. This usage is most often applied to an organization. [Slang; c. 1900]

2. Punish, give a beating, as in Whenever he was drunk he threatened to clean house on one and all. [Slang; c. 1900]

See also: clean, house

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

clean house

eliminate corruption or inefficiency. North American

See also: clean, house

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

clean ˈhouse

(American English) remove people or things that are not necessary or wanted: The new manager said he wanted to clean house.

See also: clean, house

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

clean house

Slang

To eliminate or discard what is undesirable: The scandal forced the company to clean house.

See also: clean, house

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.