b)PMAto remove or deal with something which you think is undesirable or dangerous, so that it is no longer a problem 消灭〔讨厌或危险的事物〕;肃清
The usual solution is to send in infantry to mop up any remaining opposition.
通常的解决办法就是派步兵去肃清残余抵抗。
The rebellion has been crushed, but mopping-up operations may take several weeks.
叛军已被粉碎,但肃清行动可能还要几个星期。
Examples from the Corpus
mop up• The market will have difficulty in mopping this all up.• With the wringer and mop they make up a mopping system.• For every mopping - upoperation that gets into the headlines, how many go unreported?• Some one spills the maplesyrup, and tries to mop it up with another table's tablecloth.• Serve on squares of bread, or with bread for mopping it up yourself.
Examples from the Corpus
mop• He mopped at his chin, his attention turned inward.• She sat on the bed, mopping his brow.• A trainermopped Norwood's face with a towel.• The every so often it was mopped, the every so often sprayed.• Dan has to mop the floor of the café every night.• Barnabas sat down at once and gazed at him, mopping the garage floor with his tail.• I just mopped the kitchen floor.• Unfortunately, the weaponmopping up after the ColdWar is very lethal, costs a few hundred bucks and is everywhere.• A second equally good storydescribesmopping up an oilspill at sea.• Run For Free led the charge in the £35,000 staminatest, and the Pipe supporting castmopped up the minorprizes.• Staff were mopping up today as Mr Alton held his usualsurgery.
Originmop1
(1400-1500) Perhaps from Latinmappa“cloth (for cleaning)”