clearing

noun

clear·​ing ˈklir-iŋ 

1

: the act or process of making or becoming clear

2

: a tract of land cleared of wood and brush

3

: the settlement of accounts or exchange of financial instruments especially between banks

Synonyms of clearing

• pardon
• forgiveness
• vindication
• acquittal
• exoneration

Examples of clearing in a Sentence

the clearing of the table

the clearing of wood and brush from part of the forest

We found a clearing in the forest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cavalli, the Nationals’ budding star right-hander, is appealing the seven-game suspension that he and Boston’s Willson Contreras both received Thursday for their individual roles in the benches-clearing run-in at Fenway Park on Tuesday evening. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Major League Baseball handed down four suspensions Thursday in the aftermath of Tuesday night's benches-clearing brawl between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Homeowners can take immediate steps to prepare for a hurricane, such as securing windows and clearing yards of debris. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 2 July 2026

The technique helps the body’s existing waste-clearing system catch up, and people are commonly advised to drink extra water afterward to support that processing. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clearing

• clearing bank

Rhymes for clearing

• cheering
• earing
• earring
• fearing
• gearing
• hearing
• jeering
• leering
• nearing
• peering
• rearing
• searing

Kids Definition

clearing

noun

clear·​ing ˈkli(ə)r-iŋ 

1

: the act or process of making or becoming clear

2

: an area of land cleared of wood and brush