1
: sharply outlined : distinct
2
: free from ambiguity or uncertainty : unambiguous
a clear-cut decision
: an area of forest in which all the trees have been cut down
But the logging has been concentrated in the high-volume old-growth forest, and clear-cuts are spread over almost every one of the region's watersheds.—
Catherine Caufield
Catherine Caufield
also
: clear-cutting
clear-cut; clear-cutting
: to cut down all the trees in (an area of forest)
He says there has been a massive deforestation as the Chinese have clear-cut millions of acres of Tibetan Forests to sell lumber on the export market …—Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman… native rain forest experts who harvest plants for traditional healers, make from two to 10 times per hectare the income of a farmer who clear-cuts the forest for planting crops.—Cathy Sears and Robert Neuwirth
Cathy Sears and Robert NeuwirthExamples of clear-cut in a Sentence
Adjective
a clear-cut case of plagiarism that resulted in her immediate dismissal
clear-cut instructions that even an idiot should be able to follow
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 19 June 2025
In California, the Northern Inner Coast and Santa Cruz mountain ranges that converge on San Francisco from the north and south were never clear-cut, and predators such as mountain lions and coyotes still exist there.
—Sean Lawrence, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
The answer may be linked to the studied species’ promiscuous practices: in the Amboseli population, both sexes have multiple mating partners, so paternity isn’t always clear-cut.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
On the Trumpist right, the prevailing view is that the government has been overtaken by left-wing ideologues and the only solution is to clear-cut the bureaucracy.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
During a 2024 season in which the Packers leaned on the run more than in any of LaFleur’s prior five seasons, there was a clear-cut feature back and a couple of backups.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 19 June 2025
In California, the Northern Inner Coast and Santa Cruz mountain ranges that converge on San Francisco from the north and south were never clear-cut, and predators such as mountain lions and coyotes still exist there.
—Sean Lawrence, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
The answer may be linked to the studied species’ promiscuous practices: in the Amboseli population, both sexes have multiple mating partners, so paternity isn’t always clear-cut.
—Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 18 June 2025
On the Trumpist right, the prevailing view is that the government has been overtaken by left-wing ideologues and the only solution is to clear-cut the bureaucracy.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
Cite this Entry
“Clear-cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear-cut. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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