# clear

Pronunciation: say "KLEER" US /klɪɹ/, UK /klɪə/

## Adjective

1. Easy to understand, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
   - Simple: Easy to understand, with no confusion about what is meant.
   - _The report's conclusions were clear and needed no further explanation._
   - _He wanted a clear answer, not a vague promise._
2. Transparent rather than cloudy or opaque, allowing light to pass through and objects behind to be seen, as with clean water, glass, or a thin broth.
   - Simple: Easy to see through, without cloudiness.
   - _The diver admired the clear water of the tropical reef._
   - _The bottle was made of clear plastic with no tint at all._
5. Free of clouds, leaving the sky open and bright.
   - Simple: Having no clouds in the sky.
   - _Forecasters promised clear skies for the whole weekend._
   - _The night was clear, and the moon lit the entire valley._
6. Distinct and readily seen or heard, with details coming through plainly.
   - Simple: Easy to see or hear distinctly.
   - _The new lens produced a remarkably clear image._
   - _There was a clear difference between the two samples under the microscope._
7. Open and free of anything that would block movement or passage.
   - Simple: Open and empty, with nothing in the way to block you.
   - _With the runway finally clear, the plane was allowed to take off._
   - _Keep the emergency exits clear at all times._
23. Free of guilt, or of suspicion that one has done something wrong.
   - Simple: Not guilty of doing something wrong, and not under suspicion.
   - _With three witnesses backing up his story, he was clear of any suspicion by the end of the day._
   - _Her record is clear, so the board approved the appointment._
25. Full of light and brightness, with nothing to dim or obscure it.
   - Simple: Bright and full of light, not dark or dim.
   - _The studio was lit by a clear, even light._
   - _Sunlight poured through the tall windows, filling the hall with a clear, golden light._
26. Remaining in full after all costs or deductions have been taken off; net, as in a clear profit.
   - Simple: Left over after all costs have been taken away, as in a clear profit.
   - _He walked away with a clear thousand after all expenses._
   - _After paying for supplies and the booth, they made a clear profit of $400 at the fair._
14. Having no flaws or marks, such as freckles on the skin or knots in wood.
   - Simple: Having no marks or faults, like freckles on skin or knots in wood.
   - _After months of treatment, her complexion was finally clear._
   - _The cabinetmaker paid extra for clear walnut without a single knot._
15. Able to perceive things directly and keenly, seeing beneath the surface and telling fine differences apart.
   - Simple: Able to understand things directly and sharply, and to notice small differences.
   - _She brought a clear intellect to the talks and spotted the flaw in their offer at once._
   - _Even at ninety, the judge had the clearest mind in the courtroom._
16. Of a person, fully understanding something and having no doubt or confusion about it.
   - Simple: Sure that you understand something, and not confused about it.
   - _Before we sign anything, I want to be clear about who pays for the repairs._
   - _I'm still not entirely clear on how the new booking system works._

## Verb

3. To remove things that block or fill a place so that it is open or empty, as in 'clear the road of snow' or 'clear the table'.
   - Simple: To take things away from a place so it is open or empty.
   - _Crews work overnight to clear the highway of snow._
   - _A plumber came to clear the blocked drain under the kitchen sink._
4. To remove doubt or ambiguity from a matter, so that it is clarified or resolved.
   - Simple: To take away confusion or doubt so something is understood.
   - _A short statement from the manager should clear any confusion about the new rules._
   - _The committee met to clear the remaining doubts surrounding the proposal._
9. To give or get official approval or permission for someone or something, as in 'security cleared the visitors' or 'clear the plan with your manager'.
   - Simple: To give or get official permission for something.
   - _Security cleared the visitors after checking their badges._
   - _The committee will clear the new drug for limited trials._
10. To free someone from suspicion or blame, especially for a crime.
   - Simple: To show that someone did not do something wrong that they were blamed for, often a crime.
   - _The witness's testimony was enough to clear the suspect._
   - _DNA results finally cleared the prisoner after twenty years._
11. To reset or unset something, returning it to an empty state or to zero.
   - Simple: To reset something back to empty or to zero.
   - _Clear the cache if the page keeps loading the old version._
   - _The program cleared every counter at startup._
12. To become free from obstruction or cloudiness; to grow transparent.
   - Simple: To become open or see-through after being blocked or cloudy.
   - _By noon the fog had begun to clear._
   - _Her vision cleared once the medication took effect._
13. To get past or over something without touching it, or to go beyond a height or mark, as in jumping.
   - Simple: To go over or past something without touching it.
   - _The jet cleared the mountain ridge with little room to spare._
   - _The horse managed to clear the tall fence cleanly._
17. Of a check or financial transaction, to be processed so that the money is transferred.
   - Simple: Of a check or payment, to go through so the money is paid.
   - _Funds will not be available until the deposit clears._
   - _International transfers can take several days to clear._
18. To get through to the end of a stage, challenge, or game successfully.
   - Simple: To finish a level, stage, or game by reaching its end.
   - _He cleared the game without losing a single life._
   - _Players who clear all the bonus rounds earn a secret ending._
19. To depart suddenly and quickly; to clear off or clear out.
   - Simple: To go away quickly and suddenly.
   - _The teenagers cleared out the moment the neighbor's porch light came on._
   - _Officers ordered everyone to clear before dark._
20. To hit, kick, or head a ball or puck away from one's goal in order to defend it.
   - Simple: To kick or knock a ball away from your goal to stop the other team from scoring.
   - _She cleared the puck from the crease under heavy pressure._
   - _When the defense fails to clear, the opposition keeps attacking._
21. To free oneself from burdens, distress, or entanglements; to become free.
   - Simple: To get free from trouble, debt, or things that hold you back.
   - _He sold the restaurant to clear himself of the stress and debt that came with running it._
   - _The estate took a decade to clear itself of the debts left behind._
27. To earn as profit; to net a given amount of money.
   - Simple: To earn a set amount of money as profit.
   - _After expenses, she cleared nearly ten thousand on the deal._
   - _The stall expects to clear several hundred dollars a day at the fair._

## Adverb

8. Away from or apart from something, so as not to touch it or be held back by it, as in 'stand clear of the doors' or 'she broke clear of the pack'.
   - Simple: Away from something, so you are not touching it or near it.
   - _The crew pulled the boat clear of the rocks before the tide rose._
   - _Keep clear of the wet paint until it dries._
22. In a manner that is easily seen, heard, or understood; plainly.
   - Simple: In a way that is easy to see, hear, or understand.
   - _She spoke loud and clear, and no one missed a word._
   - _The radio crackled, but the captain's orders came through loud and clear._
24. All the way through; completely from one point to another.
   - Simple: Right across, from one side all the way to the other.
   - _The arrow sailed clear through the target._
   - _She drove clear across the state in a single day._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Of the sky, with clouds covering under an eighth of it, as defined for weather observation.
- (adjective) Having little or no noticeable texture, smell or other quality that the senses would pick up.
- (adjective) In Scientology, said to have been rid of engrams, the buried painful memories the movement holds responsible for irrational behavior.
- (adjective) Calm and cheerful, not stirred up or darkened by strong feeling.
- (adjective) Pure and consisting of one substance throughout, with nothing else mixed in.
- (adjective) Of a railway signal, displaying green so that a train may go on past it.
- (adjective) Very good or excellent.
- (adjective) Ahead of rivals by a margin, as a team leading others in a table.
- (verb) To get official permission to leave or proceed, as a ship does when its papers are approved at customs.
- (verb) To secure the rights to reuse a piece of someone else's recorded audio in a new song.
- (verb) To set a page element so that it drops below any floating elements beside it instead of wrapping next to them.
- (verb) To unload a gun, or check that it holds no ammunition, as a safety step against accidental firing.
- (noun) The open measurement between two facing surfaces, such as the space inside two walls, or more broadly the whole span between two limits.
- (noun) A successful finish of a level, challenge or entire video game.
- (noun) In Scientology, a person said to have been rid of all engrams, the painful hidden memories the movement blames for irrational behavior.

## Origin

From Middle English clere, from Old French cler (Modern French clair), from Latin clarus. It is related to French clair, German klar, Italian chiaro, and Spanish claro.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/clear (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).