clean someone out
💸 clean someone out
Concrete Meaning
To take or use all of someone's money, completely emptying their financial resources.
💬 Context & Examples
Used when gambling, paying for expensive emergencies, or going through legal disputes that drain a person's bank account.
- "Buying that new house and fixing the roof completely cleaned me out."
- "The divorce lawyers absolutely cleaned him out, leaving him with nothing."
🧠 Pattern Challenge
Test Yourself
If a burglar literally "cleans out" a safe, what is left inside?
Show Answer
Nothing. It is entirely empty.