Question 1

What does "police up" mean?

Accepted Answer

(Military/institutional) To clean an area by picking up all litter, debris, or equipment

Question 2

How do you use "police up" in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Before leaving the training area, the soldiers were ordered to police up every piece of rubbish.

Question 3

Is "police up" formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

"police up" is formal — used mainly in written or official contexts. This phrasal verb originates in military usage, where soldiers are ordered to 'police up' a campsite or training area by collecting all litter, spent cartridges, and debris. It is occasionally used in civilian institutional contexts (camps, events). It is not common in everyday civilian English and ESL learners should prefer 'clean up' or 'tidy up'.

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