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clear out

verb
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cleared out; clearing out; clears out

Definition of clear out

intransitive verb

: depart

transitive verb

: to drive out or away usually forcibly
Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about clear out

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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 Many butterfly and moth species take shelter over the winter as pupae in leaf litter — so clearing out all the leaves will clear them out, too. — Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, "Read this before finishing that fall yard cleanup," 8 Nov. 2019 Your extra energy can be funneled into constructive activities such as clearing out the garage or building cold frames for the garden. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Oct. 19, 2019: Taurus, enjoy the freedom to come and go; Capricorn, make time for you," 19 Oct. 2019 By night, the lights change and tables clear out to make room for salsa and other types of international dance, as at a club. — Josie Sexton, The Know, "Rosetta Hall just brought eight new restaurants in one to Boulder," 16 Oct. 2019 Trump told Erdogan that a moderate incursion, such as clearing out a safe zone, would be acceptable, officials said. — NBC News, "Chaos in Syria, Washington after Trump call with Erdogan unleashed Turkish military," 7 Oct. 2019 Every county in the state is in a state of emergency, schools are canceling classes and supermarket shelves are clearing out. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN, "Your questions about Hurricane Dorian, answered," 30 Aug. 2019 Every county in the state is in a state of emergency, schools are canceling classes, and supermarket shelves are clearing out. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Hurricane Dorian storm tracker, plus your questions answered," 30 Aug. 2019 Mixon found space to the outside and cleared out Washington CB Josh Norman with a strong stiff arm to gain 14 yards. — Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, "What we learned from the Cincinnati Bengals' 23-13 win over the Washington Redskins," 16 Aug. 2019 To clear out some space, the rock club is opening up its doors for a good old-fashioned garage sale. — Washington Post, "16 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend," 15 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clear out.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of clear out

1613, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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Time Traveler for clear out

Time Traveler

The first known use of clear out was in 1613

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Statistics for clear out

Last Updated

12 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Clear out.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clears%20out. Accessed 22 November 2019.

More from Merriam-Webster on clear out

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clear out

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with clear out

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