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
Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The design credentials are less clear-cut.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
But for people living with a rare disease, the issue isn't so clear-cut.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Even when the evidence is clear-cut, the public’s memory isn’t.
—Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
In other cases, the reasons for transferring may not be as clear-cut—for instance, a student simply didn’t mesh with the social scene on campus or doesn’t like the sleepy town their college is located in.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The design credentials are less clear-cut.
—New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
But for people living with a rare disease, the issue isn't so clear-cut.
—Brad Quick, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
Even when the evidence is clear-cut, the public’s memory isn’t.
—Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
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 30 Jan. 2026.
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