clearing

noun

clear·​ing ˈklir-iŋ 

1

: the act or process of making or becoming clear

2

: a tract of land cleared of wood and brush

3

: the settlement of accounts or exchange of financial instruments especially between banks

Synonyms of clearing

• pardon
• forgiveness
• vindication
• acquittal
• exoneration

Examples of clearing in a Sentence

the clearing of the table

the clearing of wood and brush from part of the forest

We found a clearing in the forest.

Recent Examples on the Web

Moments after talking to the alderwoman, Chicago Streets and Sanitation crews were out at night clearing trash, not tents. —Jermont Terry, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026

Despite being four inches shorter than Moore, three clearing headers from corners were followed by another vital defensive intervention to defuse a threatening Joe Ward cross as Derby pressed for a second equaliser. —Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026

For a front-load washing machine, a good rule of thumb is to allow about 6 inches of clearing from the top of the drum to the load. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026

For more than a decade, the Bay Area lawyers escaped to Sea Ranch rentals each New Year, a head-clearing ritual through fertility struggles, the surrogacy journeys that brought their two children into the world, and Jung’s pivot from corporate law to interior design. —Leilani Marie Labong, Architectural Digest, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clearing

• clearing bank

Rhymes for clearing

• cheering
• earing
• earring
• fearing
• gearing
• hearing
• jeering
• leering
• nearing
• peering
• rearing
• searing

Kids Definition

clearing

noun

clear·​ing ˈkli(ə)r-iŋ 

1

: the act or process of making or becoming clear

2

: an area of land cleared of wood and brush