clean slate
noun
: a person's record (as from a school or a job) that shows no evidence of any problems, broken rules, etc. : a clean record
Everyone who comes to this school starts with a clean slate.
Examples of clean slate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rickea Jackson was looking for a clean slate.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
But Disney’s Bob Iger learned the hard way the importance of giving successors a clean slate.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
In that way, Alberto Mendoza gets a clean slate.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There’s a growing consensus that the family needs to start anew with a clean slate.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean slate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
But Disney’s Bob Iger learned the hard way the importance of giving successors a clean slate.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
In that way, Alberto Mendoza gets a clean slate.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
There’s a growing consensus that the family needs to start anew with a clean slate.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clean slate
Cite this Entry
“Clean slate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20slate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
