1
as in pardon
a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing
the clearing of his good name became his obsession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in opening
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
2
as in ridding
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers
cleared the woods of brush
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in paying
to give what is owed for
finally cleared the last debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in emptying
to remove the contents of
cleared a drawer so there would be a place to store his clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in filtering
to remove usually visible impurities from
cleared the car windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
cleared himself of any involvement in the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in smoothing
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions
plows promptly cleared the roads of snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in acquitting
to free from a charge of wrongdoing
she had once been accused of embezzlement, but an investigation by the bank cleared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in approving
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
the administration cleared the plan, and building should begin shortly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in removing
to take away from a place or position
cleared the dishes from the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in informing
to give information to
please clear my mind about the new arrangement regarding reimbursement for traveling expenses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in earning
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
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 clearing
ABC News, 12 May 2026
Caufield whiffed on an easy clearing attempt in the first minute of the game, leading directly to Tage Thompson’s early goal that put Buffalo ahead 1-0.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
Pair plants with other habits, like removing standing water and clearing yard debris.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clearing
Noun
Residents say efforts to remove the plant have largely been limited to small-scale manual clearing by fishermen and sporadic pilot efforts by authorities, with no effective large-scale solution in place.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Caufield whiffed on an easy clearing attempt in the first minute of the game, leading directly to Tage Thompson’s early goal that put Buffalo ahead 1-0.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Verb
The Missouri Supreme Court upheld the state’s new congressional map, clearing the way for Kansas City’s longtime Democratic-heavy 5th Congressional District to be split among three districts ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2026
Pair plants with other habits, like removing standing water and clearing yard debris.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clearing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clearing
Noun
-
But his prosecution came to an abrupt halt in December 2023, when President Joe Biden granted him a pardon as part of a prisoner exchange deal negotiated with Maduro’s regime.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
-
Trump issued a pardon to Peters in December that was considered symbolic, because a president doesn't have jurisdiction over state-level crimes.—
Bente Birkeland,
NPR,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Alex Smalley leads the field at the 2026 PGA Championship through three rounds of play, with a score of -6.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Also, without names, the people are on a level playing field with the snowflakes, who are the man’s new friends, and, without names, the doctors can be known solely by their specialties.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
When the puck finally dropped on the fifth and deciding game of the semifinal series, Minnesota came out flying with yet another quick start, pinning Montreal into its own zone for most of the opening 10 minutes.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Haring, in fact, was one of the earliest artists to experiment with blending art and commerce, opening his famous Pop Shop in Lower Manhattan in 1986.—
Leigh Anne Miller,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Ways to Get Rid of Weeds Between Pavers The best method for ridding your patio or stone path of weeds depends largely on the severity of the weed problem.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
-
During Blue Bloods' 14 seasons from 2010 until 2024, Wahlberg got some experience ridding himself of his Boston accent to play a Brooklynite.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Importing higher-paying—and oftentimes higher-achieving—students benefits a school during boom times, when universities have seemingly infinite choice among applicants.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
Adani, one of the world’s richest people, was accused in 2024 of paying massive bribes to ensure the project’s success.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
This means emptying out saucers, watering cans, and baby pools.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
Across China, Japan and South Korea, young people left their countryside homes in droves to find work in major cities, often leaving behind emptying villages occupied by a shrinking number of elderly people.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The finding helps explain how the brains of people with typical hearing are able to solve the cocktail party problem by selecting one voice to amplify while filtering out others.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
14 May 2026
-
After Wednesday's high of 91 at DFW, highs are expected around 92 Thursday afternoon, with partly to mostly sunny skies and more high clouds filtering in compared to Wednesday.—
Nelly Carreño,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
That meant that Baker & Taylor took on some of these tasks, helping to speed up the process and freeing staff members to do other work.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
But that moment in the sun came crashing down when the Russian tanks rolled into Prague in 1968, and while Karlovy Vary endured, its return to splendor was delayed until 1989, when the Iron Curtain fell, freeing the region from Moscow rules.—
Steven Gaydos,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clearing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
