wipe the slate clean

idiom

: to forget all the things that have happened or been done and start doing something again : to start again from the very beginning
She wishes she could wipe the slate clean and start over in a different career.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web One issue with this is that the way things are looking, Blue Beetle could be one of the last films in the current DC Extended Universe before the new bosses potentially wipe the slate clean. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 5 Jan. 2023 So maybe the coaches simply wipe the slate clean and let this group start over. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 12 Oct. 2022 Previews suggested that this week's new series reboot, simply titled Saints Row, might wipe the slate clean to provide a fresh perspective on the crime-spree genre. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2022 In effect, that could wipe the slate clean and allow Biden's EPA to proceed with its own power plant rules. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 26 Feb. 2022 Then again, Arishem would just wipe the slate clean. Chris Smith, BGR, 9 Nov. 2021 But Alain, who has asthma, which can make COVID-19 worse, knows that his own injections won’t wipe the slate clean for him, or those around him. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2021 The provision allows people to wipe the slate clean of mounting credit card and similar debts. David Lyons, sun-sentinel.com, 18 July 2021 Although many states, counties, and cities have pandemic-era rental assistance programs in place, no other state is attempting to wipe the slate clean. Alissa Walker, Curbed, 22 June 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wipe the slate clean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near wipe the slate clean

Cite this Entry

“Wipe the slate clean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wipe%20the%20slate%20clean. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.

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