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

Rain chances are expected to lessen Thursday night as the weather system clears out by Friday morning, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Break down and recycle those bulky boxes to clear out attic clutter instantly, or try repurposing cardboard boxes in your garden. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2026

The nor'easter that has been bringing bands of rain and heavy winds to New York, New Jersey and the Tri-State Area is finally clearing out. — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

On the subway system, workers had rolled out some flood mitigation tools at Coney Island and Howard Beach stations, and had begun pre-storm work of covering up system vents and clearing out drainage systems. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

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