take someone to the cleaners
take (one) to the cleaners
1. To cheat or swindle one for a lot or all of their money. Despite its meaning, the phrase as used often does not refer to actual cheating. It was my first time playing poker at the casino, and the more experienced players definitely took me to the cleaners. The con man made a living taking people to the cleaners with his scams.
2. To soundly defeat or best one; to succeed over one by a wide margin. This young team is taking the veteran squad to the cleaners tonight.
See also: cleaner, take
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
take someone to the cleaners
INFORMALIf someone takes you to the cleaners, they make you lose a lot of money in an unfair or dishonest way. The feeling among many experts is that the price he paid was excessive. It sounds like he got taken to the cleaners. Just for a change, the insurers discovered that they had been taken to the cleaners. Note: This developed from the expression `to clean someone out', which has been used since the 19th century. People say that they have been `cleaned out' when they have lost all their money and valuables, for example through being robbed or cheated.
See also: cleaner, someone, take
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
take someone to the cleaners
1 take all of someone's money or possessions in a dishonest or unfair way. 2 inflict a crushing defeat on someone.See also: cleaner, someone, take
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
take someone to the cleaners
1. tv. to take all of someone’s money. The lawyers took the insurance company to the cleaners, but I still didn’t get enough to pay for my losses.
2. tv. to defeat or best someone. Look at the height they’ve got! They’ll take us to the cleaners!
See also: cleaner, someone, take
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- take (one) to the cleaners
- take somebody to the cleaners
- take to the cleaners
- taken
- took
- take something
- take it
- take
- take (one) for (something)
- take (one) to task