clear up

phrasal verb

cleared up; clearing up; clears up

1

of weather or the sky : to change so that there are no clouds, fog, etc.

The sky cleared up after the rain.

It's cloudy now, but it's clearing up gradually.

2

of the skin : to become free of marks or spots

My skin cleared up when I started using the cream.

3

: to go away

My symptoms cleared up once I started using the cream.

4

British : to make an area clean or tidy

Let's clear up before we leave.

Examples of clear up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Valentine's Day will likely be rainy during the day and clear up just in time for dinner; however, one forecast model is keeping rain in the area all night. —Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026

The Kings managed to clear up their logjam in the backcourt while adding wing depth with the acquisition of Hunter, but that probably won’t change their trajectory amid one of the worst seasons in franchise history. —Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026

As far as the outfield goes, there are two paths that would clear up the lineup. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts cleared up one key question heading into spring training. —Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for clear up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup