TOP

Definition of clear verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

clear

verb
 
 
/klɪə(r)/
 
/klɪr/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they clear
 
/klɪə(r)/
 
/klɪr/
he / she / it clears
 
/klɪəz/
 
/klɪrz/
past simple cleared
 
/klɪəd/
 
/klɪrd/
past participle cleared
 
/klɪəd/
 
/klɪrd/
-ing form clearing
 
/ˈklɪərɪŋ/
 
/ˈklɪrɪŋ/
Idioms Phrasal Verbs
jump to other results

    remove something/somebody

  1.  
     [transitive] to remove things that are not wanted or needed from something
    • clear something Developers cleared the land to build new homes there.
    • It was several hours before the road was cleared after the accident.
    • It's your turn to clear the table (= to take away the dirty plates, etc. after a meal).
    • They started clearing a path through the dense jungle.
    • The work of clearing the debris is in its final stages.
    • She cleared a space on the sofa for him to sit down.
    • I had cleared my desk before I left.
    • clear A of B I cleared my desk of papers.
    • The streets had been cleared of snow.
    • clear B from/off A Clear all those papers off the desk.
    • The remains of the snow had been cleared from the streets.
    see also clear away
    Extra Examples
    • She hastily cleared a space for him to sit down.
    • The site must be completely cleared and made safe for children.
    • They cleared the mud from the steps.
    • We cleared the path of leaves.
    • I cleared my desk of papers and got down to work.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • completely
    • totally
    • partially
    • …
    preposition
    • from
    • of
    • off
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
     [transitive] clear something to make people leave a place
    • Security officials tried to clear the area, fearing more bomb attacks.
    • After the bomb warning, police cleared the streets.
    Extra Examples
    • Police were still clearing the streets when the bomb went off.
    • In case of emergency, you should be able to clear the building within three minutes.
    • At the next station the train was cleared and the body was removed.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • completely
    • totally
    • partially
    • …
    preposition
    • from
    • of
    • off
    • …
    See full entry
    3.

    not be blocked

  3.  
     [intransitive] to move freely again; to no longer be blocked
    • The traffic took a long time to clear after the accident.
    • The boy's lungs cleared and he began to breathe more easily.
    4.

    of smoke, etc.

  4.  
     [intransitive] clear (away) when smoke, fog, etc. clears, it disappears so that it is easier to see things
    • The mist will clear by mid-morning.
    • The fog was beginning to clear away.
    • As the dust cleared, we saw that the whole ceiling had come down.
    • As the smoke cleared, two fighter planes came into view.
    Topics Weatherb2

    5. of sky/weather

  5.  
     [intransitive] when the sky or the weather clears, it becomes brighter and free of cloud or rain
    • The next day the weather cleared.
    • The sky cleared after the storm.
    • The rain is clearing slowly.
    • The clouds had not yet cleared.
    • Hopefully the storm would clear soon.
    6.

    of liquid

  6. [intransitive] when a liquid clears, it becomes transparent and you can see through it
    • The muddy water slowly cleared.
    7.

    your head/mind

  7. [intransitive, transitive] if your head or mind clears, or you clear it, you become free of thoughts that worry or confuse you or the effects of alcohol, a hit on the head, etc. and you are able to think clearly
    • As her mind cleared, she remembered what had happened.
    • clear something I went for a walk to clear my head.
    Extra Examples
    • Correct breathing helps to clear the mind and reduce tension.
    • I went for a walk to try to clear my thoughts.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • suddenly
    verb + clear
    • try to
    • help (to)
    See full entry
    8.

    of face/expression

  8. [intransitive] if your face or expression clears, you stop looking angry or worried
    • His face suddenly cleared as understanding dawned.
    9.

    prove somebody innocent

  9. [transitive] clear somebody (of something) to prove that somebody is innocent
    • She was cleared of all charges against her.
    • Throughout his years in prison, he fought to clear his name.
    • He has finally been cleared of any wrongdoing.
    Extra Examples
    • After spending more than ten years on death row, the two men were finally cleared of a crime they did not commit.
    • The three defendants were formally cleared by the judge.
    • Four men accused of assault have been cleared of all charges.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • formally
    preposition
    • of
    See full entry
    10.

    give official permission

  10. [transitive] to give or get official approval for something to be done
    • clear something His appointment had been cleared by the board.
    • clear something with somebody/something I'll have to clear it with the manager.
    • I'll have to clear it with the manager before I can refund your money.
  11. [transitive] clear something to give official permission for a person, a ship, a plane or goods to leave or enter a place
    • The plane had been cleared for take-off.
    • The goods had been cleared through customs.
  12. [transitive] clear somebody to decide officially, after finding out information about somebody, that they can be given special work or allowed to see secret papers
    • She hasn't been cleared by security.
    13.

    money

  13. [intransitive, transitive] clear (something) if a payment that is made into your bank account clears, or a bank clears it, the money is available for you to use
    • Cheques usually take three working days to clear.
  14. [transitive] clear something to gain or earn a sum of money as profit
    • She cleared £1 000 on the deal.
  15. [transitive] clear something if you clear a debt or a loan, you pay all the money back
    • They sold $25 million in holdings in order to clear colossal bank debts.
    • We are economizing for a few months to try to clear our overdraft.
    16.

    get over/past

  16. [transitive] clear something to jump over or get past something without touching it
    • The horse cleared the fence easily.
    • The car only just cleared (= avoided hitting) the gatepost.
    17.

    in sport

  17. [transitive, intransitive] clear (something) (in football (soccer) and some other sports) if you clear a ball, or a ball clears, it is kicked or hit away from the area near your own goalTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc2
    18. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French cler, from Latin clarus.
Idioms
blow/clear the cobwebs away
  1. to help somebody have a fresh, lively state of mind again
    • A brisk walk should blow the cobwebs away.
clear the air
  1. to improve a difficult or tense situation by talking about worries, doubts, etc.
    • This meeting will be an opportunity to clear the air and start the healing process.
  2. to make the air less dirty or less humid (= warm and wet)
    • Storms were supposed to clear the air.
clear the decks
  1. (informal) to prepare for an activity, event, etc. by removing anything that is not essential to it
clear your throat
  1. to cough (= to force out air noisily through your throat) so that you can speak clearly
clear the way (for something/for something to happen)
  1. to remove things that are stopping the progress or movement of something
    • The ruling could clear the way for extradition proceedings.
See clear in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee clear in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: clear

Nearby words

sufficiently
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
OPAL written words
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day