What is "return" in useEffect

Clean up function

There is like this code

useEffect(() => {
  console.log('effect execute !!')
  return () => {
    console.log('in return function')
  };
}, [something]);

this function of return is called clean up function

When does clean up function execute

1. When component unmounts
2. Just Before useEffect executes

Real life example

useEffect(() => {
  document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
}, [something]);

If you write this code, keydown event adds every time when something changes. At the worst case, it causes a memory leak

so you should add clean up function, to remove event just before useEffect executes (= after state of something changes)

useEffect(() => {
  document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
  return () => {
    document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
  };
}, [something]);