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clear
[ kleer ]
adjective
- free from darkness, obscurity, or cloudiness; light:
a clear day.
- transparent; pellucid:
clear water.
Synonyms: diaphanous, crystalline, limpid, translucent
- without discoloration, defect, or blemish: a clear pane of glass.
a clear complexion;
a clear pane of glass.
- of a pure, even color:
a clear yellow.
- easily seen; sharply defined:
a clear outline.
- distinctly perceptible to the ear; easily heard:
a clear sound.
- free from hoarse, harsh, or rasping qualities: clear as a bell.
a clear voice;
clear as a bell.
- easily understood; without ambiguity:
clear, concise answers.
Synonyms: perspicuous, plain, lucid, comprehensible, intelligible
Antonyms: obscure
- entirely comprehensible; completely understood:
The ultimate causes of inflation may never be clear.
- distinct; evident; plain:
a clear case of misbehavior.
Synonyms: unmistakable, apparent, manifest, obvious
Antonyms: obscure
- free from confusion, uncertainty, or doubt:
clear thinking.
- perceiving or discerning distinctly:
a clear mind.
- convinced; certain:
He was not clear on the first point that she made but agreed with the others.
Antonyms: uncertain
- free from anything that would disturb or blame:
a clear conscience.
- free from suspicion of guilt or complicity:
She was entirely clear of the crime until one of her accomplices turned informer.
- serene; calm; untroubled:
a clear brow.
- free from obstructions or obstacles; open: a clear path.
a clear view;
a clear path.
- free from entanglement or contact: She managed to keep her dress clear of the mud.
He kept clear of her after the argument.
She managed to keep her dress clear of the mud.
Synonyms: unhampered, unencumbered
- without limitation or qualification; absolute:
a clear victory.
- free from obligation, liability, or debt: Municipal bonds were returning as much as 9 percent, clear of taxes.
After twenty years, our house is clear of the mortgage.
Municipal bonds were returning as much as 9 percent, clear of taxes.
- without deduction or diminution:
a clear $1000 after taxes.
- freed or emptied of contents, cargo, etc.
- (of tree trunks or timber) free from branches, knots, or other protruding or rough parts:
The trunk was clear for 20 feet above the ground.
- Phonetics.
- (of an l- sound) having front-vowel resonance; situated before a vowel in the same syllable. Compare dark ( def 18a ).
- (of a speech sound) produced without frication or aspiration.
- (in cryptography) not coded or enciphered. Compare plaintext.
- bright; shining:
a clear flame.
- Obsolete. illustrious.
adverb
- in a clear or distinct manner; clearly.
- so as not to be in contact with or near; away (often followed by of ):
Stand clear of the closing doors.
to cut a piece clear off;
to climb clear to the top;
to run clear off the road.
verb (used with object)
- to remove people or objects from (usually followed by of ): to clear the table of dishes.
to clear a courtroom of photographers;
to clear the table of dishes.
- to remove (people or objects) (usually followed by from ): to clear the dishes from the table.
to clear the photographers from the courtroom;
to clear the dishes from the table.
- to make clear, transparent, or pellucid; free from cloudiness or impurities:
to clear a liquid by means of a filter.
- to make free of confusion, doubt, or uncertainty:
He spoke to his supervisor to clear his mind about their working relationship.
- to make understandable or lucid; free from ambiguity or obscurity:
She rephrased the report in order to clear the essential points.
- to make (a path, road, etc.) by removing any obstruction:
He had to cut away the underbrush to clear a path.
- to eat all the food on:
to clear one's plate.
- to relieve (the throat) of some obstruction, as phlegm, by forcing air through the larynx, usually producing a rasping sound.
- to make a similar rasping noise in (the throat), as to express disapproval or to attract attention.
- to remove from (the brow) any traces of tension or anxiety, as folds or wrinkles.
- to free of anything defamatory or discrediting:
to clear one's name.
- to free from suspicion, accusation, or imputation of guilt; prove or declare innocent:
The jury cleared the defendant of the charge.
- to remove instructions or data from (a computer, calculator, etc.).
- to pass by or over without contact or entanglement: The fisherman cleared his line.
The ship cleared the reef.
The fisherman cleared his line.
- to pass through or away from: The bill cleared the Senate.
The ship cleared the harbor.
The bill cleared the Senate.
- to pass (checks or other commercial paper) through a clearinghouse.
- (of mail, telephone calls, etc.) to process, handle, reroute, etc.:
The dispatcher clears hundreds of items each day.
- to free from debt: The widow had to borrow money to clear her husband's estate.
Just a few dollars more would clear him.
The widow had to borrow money to clear her husband's estate.
- to gain as clear profit:
to clear $1000 in a transaction.
- to pay (a debt) in full.
- to receive authorization before taking action on:
You'll have to clear your plan with headquarters.
- to give clearance to; authorize:
The chairperson has to clear our speeches before the meeting.
- to authorize (a person, agency, etc.) to use classified information, documents, etc.:
He has finally been cleared for highly classified information.
- to remove trees, buildings, or other obstructions from (land), as for farming or construction.
- to free (a ship, cargo, etc.) from legal detention at a port by satisfying customs and other requirements.
- to try or otherwise dispose of (the cases awaiting court action):
to clear the docket.
- (of a commodity) to buy up or sell out the existing supply of.
- Skin Diving. to drain or expel unwanted water in: to clear a regulator and face mask while underwater.
to clear a snorkel by sharp exhalations;
to clear a regulator and face mask while underwater.
- Bridge. to establish one or more winning cards in (a given suit) by leading the suit until all the outstanding cards have been drawn:
He cleared the heart suit before attacking spades.
verb (used without object)
- to become clear.
- to exchange checks and bills, and settle balances, as in a clearinghouse.
- to become free from doubt, anxiety, misunderstanding, etc.:
His mind cleared when he heard the truth.
- to pass an authority for review, approval, etc.:
The bill must clear through the assembly before it becomes legal.
- to remove dishes, food, etc., from a table following a meal:
Is it my turn to clear?
- to remove previously inserted instructions or data from a computer, calculator, typewriter, or the like.
- Nautical.
- to comply with customs and other requirements legally imposed on entering or leaving a port (often followed by in or out ).
- to leave port after having complied with such requirements.
- (of a commodity for sale) to sell out; become bought out:
Wheat cleared rapidly.
noun
- a clear or unobstructed space.
- a piece of clear lumber.
verb phrase
- to remove in order to make room.
- to leave; escape:
We were warned to clear off before the floods came.
- to disappear; vanish:
When the smoke cleared away, we saw that the house was in ruins.
- to make clear; explain; solve.
- to put in order; tidy up.
- to become better or brighter, as the weather.
- to remove the contents of:
Clear out the closet.
- to remove; take away:
Clear out your clothes from the closet.
- to go away, especially quickly or abruptly.
- to drive or force out:
The police cleared out the pickets by force.
clear
/ klɪə /
adjective
- free from darkness or obscurity; bright
- (of weather) free from dullness or clouds
- transparent
clear water
- even and pure in tone or colour
clear blue
- without discoloration, blemish, or defect
a clear skin
- easy to see or hear; distinct
- free from doubt or confusion
his instructions are not clear
- postpositive certain in the mind; sure
are you clear?
- in combination perceptive, alert
clear-headed
- evident or obvious
it is clear that he won't come now
- (of sounds or the voice) not harsh or hoarse
- serene; calm
- without qualification or limitation; complete
a clear victory
- free of suspicion, guilt, or blame
a clear conscience
- free of obstruction; open
a clear passage
- free from debt or obligation
- (of money, profits, etc) without deduction; net
- emptied of freight or cargo
- (of timber) having a smooth, unblemished surface
- Alsoin clear (of a message, etc) not in code
- Alsolight phonetics denoting an (l) in whose articulation the main part of the tongue is brought forward giving the sound of a front-vowel timbre
- showjumping (of a round) ridden without any fences being knocked down or any points being lost
adverb
- in a clear or distinct manner
- completely or utterly
- postpositiveoften foll byof not in contact (with); free
stand clear of the gates
noun
- a clear space
- another word for clearance
- in the clear
- free of suspicion, guilt, or blame
- sport able to receive a pass without being tackled
verb
- to make or become free from darkness, obscurity, etc
- intr
- (of the weather) to become free from dullness, fog, rain, etc
- (of mist, fog, etc) to disappear
- tr to free from impurity or blemish
- tr to free from doubt or confusion
to clear one's mind
- tr to rid of objects, obstructions, etc
- tr to make or form (a path, way, etc) by removing obstructions
- tr to free or remove (a person or thing) from something, such as suspicion, blame, or guilt
- tr to move or pass by or over without contact or involvement
he cleared the wall easily
- tr to rid (the throat) of phlegm or obstruction
- tr to make or gain (money) as profit
- troften foll byoff to discharge or settle (a debt)
- tr to free (a debtor) from obligation
- intr (of a cheque) to pass through one's bank and be charged against one's account
- banking to settle accounts by exchanging (commercial documents) in a clearing house
- to permit (ships, aircraft, cargo, passengers, etc) to unload, disembark, depart, etc, after fulfilling the customs and other requirements, or (of ships, etc) to be permitted to unload, etc
- to obtain or give (clearance)
- tr to obtain clearance from
- tr microscopy to make (specimens) transparent by immersion in a fluid such as xylene
- tr to permit (a person, company, etc) to see or handle classified information
- tr military
- to achieve transmission of (a signalled message) and acknowledgment of its receipt at its destination
- to decode (a message, etc)
- tr sport to hit, kick, carry, or throw (the ball) out of the defence area
- tr computing to remove data from a storage device and replace it with particular characters that usually indicate zero
- tr to remove (trees, scrub, etc) from land
- clear the airSee air
- clear the decksto prepare for action, as by removing obstacles from a field of activity or combat
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Derived Forms
- ˈclearable, adjective
- ˈclearness, noun
- ˈclearer, noun
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Other Words From
- cleara·ble adjective
- clearness noun
- half-clear adjective
- half-clearly adverb
- pre·clear verb (used with object)
- un·clear adjective
- un·clearly adverb
- un·cleara·ble adjective
- un·cleared adjective
- well-cleared adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of clear1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of clear1
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Idioms and Phrases
- in the clear,
- absolved of blame or guilt; free:
He was suspected of the theft, but evidence put him in the clear.
More idioms and phrases containing clear
- coast is clear
- free and clear
- have a clear conscience
- in the clear
- loud and clear
- out of a clear blue sky
- see one's way (clear)
- steer clear of
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Synonym Study
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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