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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in filtering
to remove usually visible impurities from
cleared the car windows
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6
as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
cleared himself of any involvement in the matter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in smoothing
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions
plows promptly cleared the roads of snow
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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
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10
as in removing
to take away from a place or position
cleared the dishes from the table
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11
as in informing
to give information to
please clear my mind about the new arrangement regarding reimbursement for traveling expenses
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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
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Recent Examples of clearing
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 7 Jan. 2026
Moments after talking to the alderwoman, Chicago Streets and Sanitation crews were out at night clearing trash, not tents.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Instead, Wendy Glaister, CEO and founder of Wendy Glaister Interiors, recommends doing an edit immediately after the holidays, clearing surfaces and creating breathing room.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clearing
Noun
It was aimed at the clearing where there should have been a pin.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 7 Jan. 2026
Moments after talking to the alderwoman, Chicago Streets and Sanitation crews were out at night clearing trash, not tents.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Resting supports your to-do list by clearing mental clutter.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Instead, Wendy Glaister, CEO and founder of Wendy Glaister Interiors, recommends doing an edit immediately after the holidays, clearing surfaces and creating breathing room.
—Heather Bien, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clearing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clearing
Noun
-
But Hemphill rejected her pardon, the Idaho Statesman reported.—
David Staats,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Of the 1,500 or so offenders who received pardons, roughly 600 had been charged with assaulting or obstructing police officers, and 170 had been accused of using deadly weapons in the siege.—
Jeffrey Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Coming off two straight nine-win seasons, Dykes has seen enough confirmation on the field that TCU has plenty of talent already inside the building; most of it just needs to continue to develop.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Borregales banged home a 35-yard field to give the home team a 6-3 lead heading into halftime.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Per his release, the rapper must follow strict guidelines for the next five years, such as no alcohol, drug testing, and federal supervision when opening bank accounts.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But a landmark land claims settlement in 1980 exempted Maine from federal Indian gaming laws, which has prevented the tribes from opening casinos on their lands.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This filtration system ensures that your floors are getting their most thorough clean, while also ridding your space of irritants like dust that can cause allergy flare-ups.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
23 Dec. 2025
-
The committee is calling on several MCCA leaders to testify at the hearing, including CEO Marcel Vernon, who welcomed the hearing and told the Herald in a statement that obstacles still remain in the way of ridding the Convention Center of bias and exclusion.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In doing so, drivers can ensure their insurer has accurate information, thereby keeping them protected without paying more than necessary.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
No one likes paying for insurance — and mounting premiums in 2025 didn't help matters.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Your can reuse up to 10 times before emptying and refilling the socks with fresh litter.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Its first season’s defining set piece plunged the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s emergency department into the aftermath of a mass shooting, an act of narrative escalation that felt like the writers’ room emptying its reserves.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Strategically using dimmers, light-filtering and -blocking window coverings, and temperature-changing light sources also offer sensory support.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Winds will remain gusty throughout Saturday, with drier air filtering in behind the front.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a season when the team knew kickoffs would become more valuable because of touchback rule changes, the Chiefs were behind the curve on kickoff placement and freeing up their returners in the open field.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
IntBot’s commercial deployments now extend this social intelligence to hotels and other public spaces, freeing human staff from routine tasks.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clearing. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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