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clear

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verb American English pronunciation: clear /klɪr/ 
Word Forms
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present tense
I/you/we/theyclear
he/she/itclears
present participleclearing
past tensecleared
past participlecleared
 
  1. 1
    [transitive] to remove people or things from a place where they are not wanted

    Millions of acres of tropical forest have been cleared.

    clear something of something:

    The ground should first be cleared of weeds.

    clear something from something:

    Julia began to clear the dishes from the table.

    clear a space for someone/something:

    He cleared a space on his desk for a cup of coffee.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
    1. a.
      [intransitive] if a place clears, the people in it leave it

      The room cleared quickly after the final speeches.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  2. 2
    [transitive] to remove something that is blocking a place such as a road or passage

    The police cleared a way through to the front of the building.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
    1. a.
      [intransitive] to stop being blocked

      Eventually the roads cleared and the traffic began to flow again.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  3. 3
    [transitive] [usually passive] to prove officially that someone did not do something wrong
    be cleared of something:

    Yesterday the two men were cleared of murder.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  5. 5
    [transitive] to give or obtain official permission for something to happen
    clear something with someone:

    You’ll have to clear this project with the head office.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
    1. a.
      to give an airplane, ship, or person permission to enter or leave a place
      clear something for something:

      After half an hour the plane was cleared for take-off.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
    2. b.
      to obtain permission to enter a country or take something into a country after being checked by officials
      clear immigration/customs/passport control:

      Delays are often reported by passengers waiting to clear customs.

      clear something through customs:

      Someone from the embassy helped us to clear our baggage through customs.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  6. 6
    [intransitive/transitive] if a check clears, or if a bank clears it, the bank allows the money to be used

    How long will the check take to clear?

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  7. 7
    [intransitive/transitive] if your mind or head clears, or if it is cleared, it stops being confused, tired, or affected by something such as alcohol
    clear something of something:

    Clear your mind of all negative thoughts.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  9. 9
    [transitive] to pay back all of the money that you owe to the person you borrowed it from
    clear a debt:

    Try to clear your existing debts first.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  10. 10
    [transitive] to go over, under, or past an object without touching it

    One horse failed to clear the gate and was injured.

    clear something by 2 meters/ 6 inches etc.:

    The aircraft cleared the houses by only a few feet.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  11. 11
    [transitive] to deal successfully with a problem
    clear an obstacle:

    The company has cleared the main obstacle to concluding the sale.

    clear a hurdle:

    The first hurdle to clear is persuading investors of the merits of the product.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear
  12. 12
    [transitive] to do all the work that you have to do
    clear a backlog:

    Extra staff have had to be brought in to clear the backlog.

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  13. 13
    [intransitive] if something such as smoke clears, it starts to disappear

    They waited while the mist cleared a little.

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  16. 16
    [intransitive] if someone’s face clears, they stop looking annoyed, upset, or confused

    She frowned for a moment, then her brow cleared.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  clearThesaurus entry for this meaning of clear

phrases

See also

This is the American English definition of clear. View British English definition of clear.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

 

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