Take to the cleaners Meaning in English
expression
TAYK tuh THUH KLEE-nerz
TAYK tuh THEE KLEE-nuhz
Definition
To cheat or take a large amount of money or possessions from someone, often unfairly or by trickery.
Usage & Nuances
This idiom is informal and usually refers to large financial loss due to cheating, scams, or unfair deals. It's most often used when someone is tricked or defeated badly, especially in money matters.
Spanish: dejar limpio (expresión) - sacar hasta el último centavoPortuguese (BR): tirar até os ossos (expressão) - prejudicar financeiramentePortuguese (PT): limpar até ao tutano (expressão) - arruinar financeiramenteChinese (Simplified): 榨干一分不剩（比喻用法） - 彻底骗光钱Chinese (Traditional): 榨乾一分不剩（比喻用法） - 徹底騙光錢Hindi: पूरी तरह लूट लेना (मुहावरा) - सारी कमाई छीन लेनाArabic: يأخذ كل ما لديه (تعبير) - يسلب أمواله بالكاملBengali: ঠকানো - সম্পূর্ণ সর্বস্বান্ত করাRussian: ободрать до нитки - оставить ни с чемJapanese: ひどく損をさせる - だまし取るVietnamese: lừa sạch tiền - lấy hết tiềnKorean: 바가지를 씌우다 - 쪽박 차게 하다Turkish: soymak (mecazi) - dolandırmakUrdu: لوٹ لینا - کنگال کرناIndonesian: membuat bangkrut - menguras habis
Example Sentences
He was taken to the cleaners in that business deal.
basic
If you're not careful, the scammers will take you to the cleaners.
basic
The divorce really took him to the cleaners.
basic
Wow, that poker game really took me to the cleaners!
natural
The car repair shop took us to the cleaners with all those extra charges.
natural
Trust me, those fancy lawyers will take you to the cleaners if you let them.
natural