clear the way

idiom

1
: to make the area through which someone or something is trying to pass open and able to be used
She directed traffic to clear the way for the ambulance.
2
: to allow something to happen or develop
The truce would clear the way for further discussions between the two groups.

Examples of clear the way in a Sentence

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Oscar frontrunner Stellan Skarsgård wasn’t a factor here, which could clear the way for either Penn or Jacob Elordi. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2026 But during the initial wet dress countdown needed to clear the way for launch, hydrogen leaks were detected, requiring replacement of suspect seals in an umbilical where fuel lines are attached to the base of the rocket. William Harwood, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 That pause came six days after yet another judge vacated Williams’ lengthy sentence for the deadly 2001 shooting on the Santee campus, a decision that could clear the way for his release. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026 The western ridge is projected to break down, and that will allow the pattern to get moving, allowing the milder air to move to the east and finally clear the way for some Pacific storm systems to move into the West. Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clear the way

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Cite this Entry

“Clear the way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear%20the%20way. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.

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