clear out

verb

cleared out; clearing out; clears out

intransitive verb

: depart

transitive verb

: to drive out or away usually forcibly

Synonyms of clear out

• disperse

Examples of clear out in a Sentence

police used tear gas to clear out the demonstrators

everyone cleared out as soon as the fire alarm began sounding

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite the holiday season clearing out offices, sending thousands on vacation, and shutting down stores early, CEOs tell Fortune their work lives are still intense. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 1 Jan. 2026

Create Your Own Rules There's a lot of advice on what to clear out and how, but Mountford suggests creating a list of your own rules. —Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025

Once the snow clears out, New Year's Day is looking cold and blustery, with highs ranging from the mid 20s to low 30s. —Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025

And let’s be real, the Buffs did not just lose a lot last season, they were blown out in three of their final five games, leading to fans clearing out by the fourth quarter of the final two at Folsom Field. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for clear out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

clear out

verb

1

: to go or run away often suddenly or secretly

a horse broke loose and cleared out

cleared out without paying me back

2

: to drive out or away usually with force

police cleared out the demonstrators