cleanlier; cleanliest
1
: careful to keep clean : fastidious
2
: habitually kept clean
Examples of cleanly in a Sentence
Adverb
A sharp knife will cut through the skin of a tomato cleanly.
This fuel burns more cleanly than other fuels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2025
The sturdy, angled bristles swept cleanly across both indoor and outdoor surfaces, and none of the debris clung to them.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 10 July 2025
New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Director Jennifer Chang understands clearly and cleanly which moments need specific tones and moods.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s double to right rolled all the way to the warning track, and the throw beat Spencer Horwitz at the plate, but Twins catcher Christian Vasquez could not field the ball cleanly.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2025
The sturdy, angled bristles swept cleanly across both indoor and outdoor surfaces, and none of the debris clung to them.
—Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 10 July 2025
Adjective
The folding handles close away neatly into side recesses to create flush sides that store cleanly side by side.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2025
Director Jennifer Chang understands clearly and cleanly which moments need specific tones and moods.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleanly
Cite this Entry
“Cleanly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanly. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share