wipe · verb T /waɪp/Full view
wipe
B2 to clean or dry something by moving a cloth across it
Dictionary examples:

Have you got a cloth that I can wipe the floor with?

I'll just wipe the table.

Learner example:

If you accept my application, I can join any group you've made to help clean the street, [and] wipe the walls or doors of [a] public place. (International English Language Testing System; B2; Chinese)

wipe sth away/from/off, etc.
B2 to remove dirt, water, a mark, etc. from something with a cloth or your hand
Dictionary example:

He wiped a tear from his eye.

Learner example:

My father gave her a tissue and she wiped her tears away. (First Certificate in English; B2; German)

wipe sth out or wipe out sth
C2 to destroy something completely
Dictionary example:

The earthquake wiped out many villages.

Learner example:

We are able to cure diseases that hundreds of years ago would wipe out thousands of people, as, for instance, the Black Plague did. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Spanish)

Cambridge logo