clear 1 of 3

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

clear

2 of 3

verb

1
2
as in to empty
to remove the contents of cleared a drawer so there would be a place to store his clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to open
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way the early settlers worked hard to clear the land for crops

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
6
as in to smooth
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions plows promptly cleared the roads of snow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

7
8
9
10
11
as in to earn
to receive after charges and deductions have been made cleared enough from that stock transaction to be able to afford a new luxury automobile

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

12
as in to pay
to give what is owed for finally cleared the last debt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clear

3 of 3

adverb

as in through

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective clear contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of clear are limpid, translucent, and transparent. While all these words mean "capable of being seen through," clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness.

clear water

When could limpid be used to replace clear?

Although the words limpid and clear have much in common, limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water.

her eyes were limpid pools of blue

When can translucent be used instead of clear?

The synonyms translucent and clear are sometimes interchangeable, but translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond.

translucent frosted glass

When would transparent be a good substitute for clear?

While the synonyms transparent and clear are close in meaning, transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly.

a transparent sheet of film

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clear
Adjective
By the time Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli began passing other horses and taking aim at Fierceness with the rally that had won him the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness and Haskell Stakes, the leader had spurted clear by 2-1/2 lengths turning into the homestretch. Kevin Modesti, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 Filtering out the yeast to make the beer clear also strips the beer of a lot of its flavor, so most people seem to prefer the original hazy version. Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Four days after the CODIS match was clear and in a conversation with Detective Sones, Galvan denied knowledge of the homicide. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2025 The skies will be mostly clear today. Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Bombs rained down on every street and building, specifically the western and northern parts of Gaza like Al-Karama, Al-Naser, and Al-Shifa neighborhoods, targeting anyone in their path in order to forcibly clear Gaza City of its citizens. Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 Beech, too, was quickly cleared. Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clear
Adjective
  • However, the severity of the storm soon became obvious.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • After curing the potatoes, pick through them once more and remove any potatoes with obvious signs of damage.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The move by the tech giant set a more transparent bonus system in South Korea’s tech industry.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The goal is to create a reliable, transparent capital-return framework comparable to global mining peers such as Barrick and Newmont, while still allowing upside participation in strong gold-price environments.
    Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The bad news is that there are already murmurs in Brussels about piecemeal, incremental measures – harmonizing certain national laws, creating yet another framework for EU member states to fuss over and interpret.
    Jan Hammer, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
  • How do such regimes exploit certain brain functions or cognitive tendencies?
    Big Think, Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Men who worked in agriculture and forestry often retreated to the cities and towns of sunny southern California for the winter.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Skies are expected to remain sunny Thursday heading into the weekend.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The initial analysis, concluded on August 8, 2025, confirmed the skull was that of an adult, but could not provide further conclusive information.
    Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
  • That means kimchi's beneficial bacteria could potentially offset the hypertensive effects of sodium, although the research is not conclusive.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Ocean-facing rooms are a bit larger, at 430 square feet; note that the Superior Ocean View rooms, on the first floor, provide only a partial view, while the views from the Deluxe Ocean Front rooms are unobstructed.
    Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
  • When driving on a street or highway with unobstructed pavement that's wide enough for two or more lines of vehicles lawfully to proceed, at the same time, in the direction in which the passing vehicle is driving.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The innocent landowners outlined in the bills are defined as those who have pollution on their property due to no fault of their own.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Ken Woroner—Netflix In Shelley's book, the Creature either directly murders or is responsible for the deaths of several innocent people as part as his quest for vengeance against Victor.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The best shining example of something that was influenced by us is the British version of The Office.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Attendees rode in support of and alongside community member Eva Zamora, who is a shining example of how to live your best life with Parkinson’s disease and takes cycle classes at EōS regularly, a news release stated.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clear. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on clear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!