Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: NATURE

clear

2 verb
     
clear2 S1 W2
1

surface/place

[transitive] to make somewhere emptier or tidier by removing things from it:
Snowplows have been out clearing the roads.
clear something of something
Large areas of land had been cleared of forest.
clear something from something
Workers began clearing wreckage from the tracks.
Dad cleared a space (=moved things so there was room) in the garage for Jim's tools.
It's Kelly's turn to clear the table (=remove the dirty plates, forks etc).
2

remove people

[transitive] to make people, cars etc leave a place:
Within minutes, police had cleared the area.
clear somebody/something from something
Crowds of demonstrators were cleared from the streets.
3

crime/blame etc

[transitive usually passive] to prove that someone is not guilty of something:
Rawlings was cleared after new evidence was produced.
clear somebody of (doing) something
Maya was cleared of manslaughter.
a long-running legal battle to clear his name
4

permission

[transitive]
a) to give or get official permission for something to be done:
He was cleared by doctors to resume skating in August.
clear something with somebody
Defence policies must often be cleared with NATO allies first.
b) to give official permission for a person, ship, or aircraft to enter or leave a country:
The plane took off as soon as it was cleared.
5

clear your throat

to cough in order to be able to speak with a clear voice
6

weather

DN also clear up [intransitive] if the weather, sky, mist etc clears, it becomes better and there is more sun:
The haze usually clears by lunchtime.
7

liquid

[intransitive] if a liquid clears, it becomes more transparent and you can see through it:
Wait for the water to clear before adding any fish.
8

cheque

[intransitive and transitive]BFB if a cheque clears, or if a bank clears it, the bank allows the money to be paid into the account of the person whose name is on the cheque
9

go over/past

[transitive] to go over a fence, wall etc without touching it, or to go past or through something and no longer be in it:
The plane barely cleared the fence at the end of the runway.
Edwards cleared 18 feet in the pole vault.
The plane cleared Chinese airspace.
10

clear a debt/loan

to get rid of a debt by paying what you owe
11

clear your head/mind

to stop worrying or thinking about something, or get rid of the effects of drinking too much alcohol:
A good walk might clear my head.
12

face/expression

[intransitive] literary if your face or expression clears, you stop looking worried or angry:
She looked embarrassed, but then her face cleared.
13

clear the way for something

written to make it possible for a process to happen:
This agreement will clear the way for further talks.
14

skin

also clear up [intransitive] if your skin clears, red marks on it disappear:
The rash has finally cleared.
15

clear the air

to do something to end an argument or bad situation, for example discuss a problem calmly
16

clear (something through) customs

to be allowed to take things through customs
17

clear the decks

to do all the work that needs to be done before you can do other things:
I'm trying to clear the decks before Christmas.
18

earn

[transitive] informal to earn a particular amount of money after taxes have been paid on it:
Diane clears £20,000 a year.

clear something ↔ away

phrasal verb
to make a place look tidier by removing things or putting things back where they belong:
When dinner was done and cleared away, Auntie Lou made some tea.
Homeowners are clearing away brush near their houses to prevent fires.

clear off

phrasal verb
to leave a place quickly:
They cleared off when they saw the police coming.
clear off! (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)

clear out

phrasal verb
1

clear sth↔ out

to make a place tidy by removing things from it and getting rid of them:
I need to clear out my closet.
2 to leave a place or building quickly:
Wait to get on the train until the people getting off have cleared out.
clear out! British English (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)

clear up

phrasal verb
1 to make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong:
I don't mind you using the kitchen as long as you clear up afterwards.
clear something ↔ up
Adam, clear up this mess before your father sees it.
clear up after
I get really tired of clearing up after you (=tidying places that you have made untidy).
2

clear sth↔ up

to explain or solve something, or make it easier to understand:
The White House hopes these problems can be cleared up soon.
There are a couple of points we need to clear up before the meeting begins.
3 if the weather clears up, it gets better
4 if an illness or infection clears up, it disappears
Definition of clear from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic NATURE
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