mop-upn.

1900 A. Thorneycroft in L. S. Amery Times Hist. War in S. Afr. (1905) III. 288 Better six battalions safely off the hill than a mop up in the morning.

1917 P. Gibbs Battles of Somme 296 The honour of the new attack was given to the ‘mop-up’ battalions behind.

1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 2 Oct. 1/5 Men..known among the strikers as ‘mop-up gangs’ have committed depredations, beaten up a few loyal employees, and threatened and intimidated other employees.

1944 Sun (Baltimore) 29 Apr. 2 (caption) Sergt. Charles H. Wolverton..prepares to throw a hand grenade into a Japanese dugout during the mop-up of the Empress Augusta Bay area after 18 days of bitter fighting.

1979 Arizona Daily Star 5 Aug. a4/3 Shifting winds caused it to surge out of control again even as mop-up crews were on the scene.

1986 Philadelphia Inquirer 11 July c3/1 Relegated to a mop-up role last year, Garber, 38, rarely entered a close game for the Braves.