taken to the cleaners

A form of take to the cleaners — To take a significant quantity of a person's money or valuables, through overcharging, litigation, unfavorable investing, gambling, fraud, etc.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastpast participle of take to the cleaners
Cite this entry
APA

taken to the cleaners. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20to%20the%20cleaners

MLA

“taken to the cleaners.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20to%20the%20cleaners. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taken to the cleaners,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taken%20to%20the%20cleaners.

Source: taken to the cleaners on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.