clarify
verb
clar·i·fy
ˈkler-ə-ˌfī 
ˈkla-rə-
clarified; clarifying
1
: to make understandable
clarify a subject
The president was forced to clarify his position on the issue.
2
: to free of confusion
needs time to clarify his thoughts
3
: to make (a liquid or something liquefied) clear or pure usually by freeing from suspended matter
clarify syrup
: to become clear
waiting for the present muddled diplomatic situation to clarify—
Newsweek
Newsweek
Examples of clarify in a Sentence
Can you clarify exactly what it is you're proposing?
Her explanation did not clarify matters much.
The president was forced to clarify his position on the issue.
The committee clarified the manager's duties.
a substance used to clarify wine
Recent Examples on the Web
Packer told the Idaho Capital Sun last year that the group wants to clarify that contraceptives and abortifacients are not the same.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2024
The study found that Joro spiders will be able to inhabit most of the eastern U.S. Coyle has since clarified that there’s no set timeline on when the spiders could arrive on the east coast.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 5 June 2024
Additionally, the bill clarifies that certified kinship homes would be eligible for the same financial assistance and reimbursement as nonrelative foster care homes.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024
After social media users erroneously claimed that he was photographed signing an Israeli bomb, the Captain America star shared a message on his Instagram Story Thursday clarifying that this wasn’t the case.
—EW.com, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clarify 
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2024
The study found that Joro spiders will be able to inhabit most of the eastern U.S. Coyle has since clarified that there’s no set timeline on when the spiders could arrive on the east coast.
—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 5 June 2024
Additionally, the bill clarifies that certified kinship homes would be eligible for the same financial assistance and reimbursement as nonrelative foster care homes.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024
After social media users erroneously claimed that he was photographed signing an Israeli bomb, the Captain America star shared a message on his Instagram Story Thursday clarifying that this wasn’t the case.
—EW.com, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clarify
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clarify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clarify
Cite this Entry
“Clarify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clarify. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clarify
verb
clar·i·fy
ˈklar-ə-ˌfī
clarified; clarifying
1
: to make or become pure or clear
clarify a liquid
2
: to make or become easier to understand
clarify a statement
Medical Definition
clarify
verb
clar·i·fy
ˈklar-ə-ˌfī
clarified; clarifying
: to make (as a liquid) clear or pure usually by freeing from suspended matter
clarify sewage
: to become clear
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