clear1 adjectiveclear2 verbclear3 adverbclear4 noun
clearclear1 /klɪə $ klɪr/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative clearer, superlative clearest) 
WORD ORIGINclear1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French cler, from Latin clarus ‘clear, bright’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- clear signs of an economic recovery
- a clear mountain lake
- a beautiful clear day
- Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't
- Even after two thousand years the writing is quite clear.
- Gun control laws are favored by a clear majority of Americans.
- He had left clear footprints in the wet sand.
- High-definition television is amazing. The picture is so clear.
- I'll give you until Monday to turn in your essay. Is that clear?
- I only realised later that the clear liquid in the glass must have been vodka.
- It became clear after talking to him that Andrew wasn't going to cooperate.
- It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.
- It soon became clear that there were not enough police officers to deal with the situation.
- It was clear that Lesley was very upset by what had happened.
- It was clear to me that my father was dying.
- Let me get this clear - you weren't even there at the time?
- Most of the 'help' messages you get on computers aren't at all clear to ordinary home users.
- Most of the photographs were sharp and clear.
- On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from Tokyo.
- Perhaps I didn't make myself clear - there won't be a penny of extra money for this project.
- A preference for country living is clear, and in some remoter rural districts there was even a significant growth in population.
- Let me be clear about the reason.
- Probably the clearest statements on book selection are by Lester Asheim in a defence of book selection against the charge of censorship.
- The prospective meaning of to is thus perfectly clear in this use.
- The sounds were too indistinct for him to hear the words, but the tone was clear enough.
- This makes the impossibility of sustaining an objective, scientific programme particularly clear in psychology.
- What actually disturbed him is not so clear.
- What is clear is that the most successful computerised personnel systems link payroll and personnel together.
THESAURUSeasy to see through
easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty: · The table top is a piece of clear glass.· a clear liquid· The water was so clear that you could see down to the bottom of the lake.
clear – used especially about materials and solid things. Transparent is a little more formal than clear: · Fill a transparent plastic bottle with water.· a piece of transparent film· Melt 2 ounces of butter in a large frying pan, and cook the onions until they are almost transparent.
made of a very thin material that you can see through – used especially about women’s clothes: · She wore a black see-through dress.
literary clear – used especially about water or other liquids . This is a very formal word which is used in novels and literature: · limpid pools· She gave her a golden flask of limpid olive oil.
difficult to see through difficult to see through: · The shower has an opaque glass door.
Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand · The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
to make something completely clear · I tried to make clear exactly what I meant.make it clear (that) · The teacher made it clear that she would not allow talking in class.make something clear · We want to make the rules clear from the beginning.make yourself clear (=make it clear what you mean) · Am I making myself clear?
formal to make something clearer, especially because people have not completely understood it: · I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.clarify your position (=make it clear what you think about something and what your intentions are): · The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
to explain something in the clearest possible way, especially when you think it should be unnecessary to make things so simple or to give so many details: · Do I have to spell out to you how important this is to me?· Andrews was asked to spell out exactly how pensions would be affected.· Campbell spelled out the reasons why staff reductions were necessary.
informal to state something clearly and strongly, especially something that other people may be unwilling to listen to or accept: · I'm going to lay it on the line. If you don't quit drinking, I'm going to leave you.
if you say something in no uncertain terms , you make your meaning very clear, especially when you are annoyed with someone about something: · The president of the university condemned racism on campus in no uncertain terms.· You've got to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you will no longer tolerate his abuse.
not clear · It is unclear how the man died.· The instructions aren't very clear.· The terms of our tenancy agreement are somewhat unclear.· The reasons for his resignation are still not clear.unclear/not clear about · His ideas are good, but he's very unclear about how he's going to achieve them.unclear/not clear whether/what/why etc · It's not clear why Parks didn't go straight to the police.· It is unclear whether the she will agree to the new arrangements.
having more than one possible meaning and therefore confusing and unclear: · The document's ambiguous wording makes it very difficult to follow.deliberately ambiguous (=intended to be difficult to understand): · The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.
words or statements that are imprecise are unclear because they do not describe or explain something in an exact way when this is necessary: · Many of the terms used in this book are imprecise.· She gave me directions to the hotel, but they were, shall we say, somewhat imprecise.
unclear, especially because not enough details are given: · There have been vague rumours of a coup.vague idea: · I only had a vague idea of where the place was.vague about: · He was rather vague about the reasons why he never finished school.
a confusing situation, story, explanation, etc is difficult to understand because there does not seem to be any clear pattern or order to it: · The kidnappers issued a series of confusing demands.· I found the book really confusing. I kept forgetting who the characters were.· Cricket can be a pretty confusing game for non-players.
if something that someone tells you is muddled or garbled , it is very unclear and confusing because they themselves have not really understood it very well: · I heard a garbled version of the story from one of my students.· Conroy made some muddled statement about how company policy has to be observed in these situations.· The old woman's directions were so garbled that I just rolled up the window and drove on.
unintelligible speech or writing is impossible to understand, for example because the words are not clear or it is written very badly: · Her note was practically unintelligible.· I liked the music but the lyrics were completely unintelligible.
when it is not clear what is happening or why something happens · It is not clear why the disease affects some people and not others.· The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
a situation that is confused is difficult to understand because a lot of things are happening at the same time and you do not have enough information about it: · Newspaper reports give a rather confused picture of the state of the economy.· US policy towards China has always seemed mixed and confused.· The situation in the city centre is getting increasingly confused, and riot police have been told to stand by.
to make something unclear to make a situation unclear by making it more complicated: · The instructions just confused me even more.· The Press Secretary gave a completely different version of events, which greatly confused the situation.confuse matters further (=make things more confused): · I think my explanation only confused matters further.
to make the difference between two ideas or subjects unclear: · The difference between male and female roles within the house has become blurred.· The show blurs the difference between education and entertainment.· His novels tend to blur the distinctions between reality and fantasy.
to make a subject or problem unclear by bringing in ideas, information, etc that are not really connected with it: · The Supreme Court's latest decision has only clouded the issue of gun control.· I'm talking about social problems. My opponent is just confusing the issue when he keeps referring to family values.
clear and easy to see · He had left clear footprints in the wet sand.· Even after two thousand years the writing is quite clear.· Most of the photos were very sharp and clear.
an object, line, or shape that is distinct is very clear so that you can easily see that it is separate from the things around it: · The sign's lettering was crisp and distinct.· As night fell, the outline of the mountain became less distinct.
photographs/images/pictures · High-definition television is amazing. The picture is so clear.· The images of Mars sent back by the Voyager satellite are amazingly clear.
very clear, especially because the edges of objects are very easy to see: · "Clear, sharp photos every time," the advertisement promised.· Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharp outlines - almost like children's comics.
photographs, films, or images that are in focus have been photographed or filmed from the correct distance or with the camera correctly set, so that everything in the pictures is clear: · Several of the photos weren't in focus.· Roy adjusted the TV set so that the picture was in sharper focus.
not easy to see clearly · I'll try and read this, but the handwriting's pretty unclear.· The photos were not very clear.
a picture, shape, image etc that is faint is unclear because it is a long way away, there is not enough light, or it was very lightly drawn: · There were a few faint pencil lines on the page.faint outline: · On the wall you could see the faint outline of where a picture had once hung.
unclear so that only the general shape can be seen, and not small details: · Without my glasses, anything more than a few feet away looks blurred.· All I have to remind me of Albert are a few letters and a blurred photo.
a photograph, television picture etc that is fuzzy is not clear, and it is difficult to see separate edges and objects, often because there is something wrong with your equipment or with the way the pictures were taken: · Police have only a fuzzy videotape of the bank robbery.· a fuzzy snapshot
a view that is hazy is not clear because there is a slight mist caused by heat, smoke etc: · The view to the west was hazy.hazy with: · The room was hazy with smoke.
to not feel guilty about something · I made her cry but I don't feel guilty -- she deserved it.not feel guilty about · Working mothers shouldn't feel guilty about wanting a career.· I don't understand how on earth he can go on lying like that and not feel guilty about it.
if you have a clear conscience , you feel that you have not done anything wrong, so that you do not feel guilty about anything you have done: with a clear conscience: · You can face Lionel with a clear conscience -- you've done nothing to harm him.have a clear conscience: · Let them say whatever they like. I have a clear conscience.
if you have no qualms about doing something, you have no worries or doubts about whether what you are doing is right, even though other people may think it is wrong: have no qualms about: · She had no qualms about sending her young children to boarding school.· Donald had been stealing stationery from work for years and had no qualms about it at all.
formal to not feel guilty about doing something, even though other people may think it is wrong: · I warn you. These people have no compunction whatsoever and cannot be trusted.have/feel no compunction about: · Eliot felt no compunction about living at the expense of his friends.
to tell someone what you intend to do to let someone know what you intend to do, especially when you think that they do not expect it or will not like it: · The Senator has decided to run for president, and made his intentions known in a public statement Tuesday.· People who want to donate their organs after their deaths should make their intentions clear.
informal to tell someone exactly what you intend to do, especially when you have kept it a secret before: · If they're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate, that's good.· If we want to reach an agreement, we'll have to lay all our cards on the table.
very easy to notice or understand something that is obvious is very easy to notice or understand: · There is an obvious connection between the two murders.· "Why is she leaving?" "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?"it is obvious that: · It's obvious that something is wrong.· It was obvious from the start that my parents disliked Nancy.it is obvious to somebody: · It should be obvious to everyone that we need to make some changes.for obvious reasons (=when the reasons are so obvious that you do not need to say what they are): · For obvious reasons, we've had to cancel tonight's performance.
if it is clear that something is true, it is easy to notice that it is true and you feel sure about it and have no doubts: it is clear that: · It was clear that Lesley was very upset by what had happened.it is clear to somebody: · It was clear to me that my father was dying.it becomes clear: · It soon became clear that there were not enough police officers to deal with the situation.· It became clear after talking to him that Andrew wasn't going to cooperate.clear evidence/example/sign etc: · There is clear evidence that certain diets reduce your chances of getting cancer.· clear signs of an economic recovery
use this to emphasize that it is easy to see that something is true: · We're obviously going to need more help.· Clearly, the situation is more complicated than we first thought.· The children were clearly upset.· Obviously, this guy's a complete fraud.· The language of the article clearly reveals the author's bias.
to know that something must be true because you can see signs that show this: can tell (that): · I can tell that Mark isn't happy here.· Even though it was dark, she could tell it was him.can tell if: · I can't tell if this is dirty or not. Can you?can tell by: · I could tell by the way she walked that her knee was still bothering her.
if it is easy to see that something is true, it is very easy for anyone to notice or understand that fact: it is easy to see (that): · It's easy to see that he isn't well.· It was easy to see that Minna was embarrassed by her father's behaviour.it is easy to see how/why/what: · It's easy to see why this place is so popular.
a noticeable difference, change, improvement etc is easy to notice: noticeable change: · The most noticeable change was in my younger brother, who had grown quite a bit and was now a third-grader.noticeable improvement: · There has been a noticeable improvement in Jeremy's behaviour lately.barely/hardly/scarcely noticeable (=almost not noticeable): · Stop worrying about your pimples; they're barely noticeable.it is noticeable that: · It was quite noticeable that everyone had been invited except for Gail.
formal a perceptible difference, change, improvement etc can be noticed even though it is small: · The influence of Sartre is perceptible in Hogan's novel.perceptible change: · According to Reynolds, there has been a slight but perceptible change in public attitude lately.barely/scarcely/hardly perceptible (=almost not perceptible): · His lips curved in a barely perceptible smile.· When he asked if she wanted something to eat, she gave a barely perceptible nod.
a distinct or definite possibility, feeling, quality etc is noticeable and cannot be ignored: distinct/definite possibility: · A civil war is a distinct possibility.· Food shortages are so severe that mass starvation is a definite possibility.distinct advantage: · Trigg's height should give him a distinct advantage in his match against Robinson.distinct impression: · I had the distinct impression that Rachel was displeased.
obvious - used formally or in literature: · Even at the age of eight his musical talent was apparent.for no apparent reason (=without a clear reason): · Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, he turned his back and walked away.it is evident (from something) that: · From the look on Jill's face, it was evident that the news came as a complete shock.it became apparent/evident that: · It became evident that Lena wasn't going to be able to handle the project on her own.· After a few months, it became apparent that Vicky did not have a genuine interest in her job.
something or someone that is conspicuous is very easy to notice, because they are different from everything or everyone else around them: · Cuzco's few tourists are conspicuous as they explore the old cobbled streets.· Downtown business owners say they want the city's homeless shelter moved to a less conspicuous location.
something you can see through if water, air, or glass is clear , you can easily see through it: · The lake was so clear you could see the plants on the bottom.· On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from Tokyo.· I only realised later that the clear liquid in the glass must have been vodka.crystal-clear (=use this to emphasize how clear something is): · The water was crystal-clear, edged by sparkling white sand.
use this about objects or materials that you can see through: · The box has a transparent plastic lid so you can see what's inside.· The boy's arms and hands were so thin they seemed almost transparent.
see-through clothes are made of thin material that you can see through: · a see-through blouse· She posed for 'Vogue' in a see-through black teddy.
when something shows that something else is true to prove that something is true: · Her nervousness is shown by a tendency to laugh a lot in public.show (somebody) how/what/why etc: · It cost $5000 to repair the car -- that shows how bad the damage was!· It shows you what they think of their customers, if they can't even be bothered to answer your letter!show something/somebody to do something: · Caffeine has been shown to have a good effect on mental performance.show (that): · The evidence shows that this area was probably the site of a Roman settlement.· The polls clearly show that the voters are dissatisfied with the present government.it (just) goes to show (=use to emphasize that something proves that what you are saying is true): · It just goes to show that we can all learn from experience, whether we're 8 or 80.
if an event or action is a sign of something else, it is one of the things that shows that something is probably true: be a sign of: · The public opposition to the airport is a sign of how much people's attitudes have changed.· A cluttered desk is a sign of a creative mind.be a sign that: · When a dog wags his tail, it's a sign that he's happy.be a sure/clear sign: · My mother pursed her lips, a sure sign of displeasure.take/view/see something as a sign that (=decide that it shows something): · When she didn't return my calls, I took it as a sign that she just wasn't interested.
formal to show very clearly that something is true - use this especially in official or technical contexts: · His commitment to the company is demonstrated by his work on the project.demonstrate how/why/whether etc: · Here are some examples that demonstrate how badly some students write their resumés.· The assessment center gives each applicant the opportunity to demonstrate whether they are suited to the work.demonstrate that: · I'm afraid this whole episode demonstrates that we have become less compassionate as a society. demonstrate (something) to somebody: · You've got to be able to demonstrate to people that the union can help in these cases.
if an event or action means something, you can guess from it that something has happened or is true: · Cloudy water from the taps usually means problems with your storage tank.· A free economy does not mean the absence of any economic control. mean (that): · This sort of behaviour means that the child is definitely unhappy.· If A is false, does that also mean proposition B is false?must mean: · Her car's not there, so that must mean she's gone to pick him up.
to show very clearly that something is true: make it clear (that): · This new evidence makes it clear that Rourke was acting independently of the others.make it clear what/why/how etc: · The look in her eyes made it clear what she meant.make clear something: · The Unabomber's diary makes clear his loathing and contempt for society.
if something reflects a situation or fact, it is a result of that situation or fact and shows clearly that the situation or fact exists: · The three-year guarantee reflects the company's confidence in the quality of its products.· His fair, freckled skin and blue eyes reflect his Irish heritage.· This poll reflects what the Republicans of California are sensing. be reflected in: · The culture of a nation is always reflected in its language.
to be an example which shows that a fact is true or that a situation exists: · As this story illustrates, some stars have become as bored as audiences by Hollywood extravagance.· This point can be illustrated by two brief examples.illustrate how/why/what: · The experiment illustrates how careful you have to be when interpreting results.
if a situation, detail etc tells you something, it helps you to know, understand, or guess more about something: · What does this tell us about the experience of young immigrants to this country?tell somebody how many/much etc: · Unfortunately, the photographs can tell us very little about the potential for life on Mars.tell somebody that: · The research told us that many drug addicts were returning to heroin up to three years after the treatment.
if a situation, detail, fact is evidence of a general situation, attitude, type of behaviour etc, it shows that it exists: be evidence of: · Changes in sexual laws in recent years are evidence of a gradual movement towards greater tolerance.be evidence that: · Journalists argue that being attacked by both sides is evidence that their coverage is fair.· This is clear evidence that the crime figures do not represent the true situation.
to show something that most people did not know or realize is true: · The way he spoke in the bar afterwards revealed prejudice and bitterness that I had never suspected.· Separate holidays and weekends apart reveal more clearly than any words the state of their marriage.reveal how/why/what etc: · The President's refusal to meet the press reveals just how serious the crisis is.· Positive tests have revealed why some athletes were so reluctant to co-operate.reveal that: · The fact that there are no black officers in the entire regiment reveals that the army is not serious about its anti-discrimination policies.
something that you cannot be certain about something that is uncertain , has not been definitely shown or decided: · The cause of the accident is uncertain.· Exactly how and when these plant species came to the Great Plains is not certain.it is uncertain whether/if: · It is still uncertain whether the conference will actually take place.it is uncertain how/why/when/that: · It's uncertain when the trial will begin.· It is not at all certain that Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover America.
a situation that is unclear , is one that people do not know enough or understand enough to be sure about it: · The causes of the dispute are not entirely clear.· At this hour, the fate of the passengers and crew is still unclear.it is unclear how/why/whether etc: · It isn't clear how the fire started.· It's not yet clear whether the disease is caused by a virus.· It was unclear when the two sides would meet again to discuss the budget.it is not clear that: · It's not clear that the problems with the new computer system have been worked out.
informal use this about something that is uncertain because a decision has not yet been made: · I might be going on a training course next week, but it's still up in the air.· They still haven't said if I've got the job -- it's all up in the air at the moment.
use this to say that people do not feel certain about what has happened or will happen, and are worried about it - used especially in newspapers and public speeches: · The Principal said there was uncertainty about the candidate's qualifications.· There is some uncertainty over where the refugees are going to be housed.
easy to understand · The instructions are easy to follow.· On cards are five easy to follow recipes for you to cut out and keep.· We try to write it in language that is easy to understand.
instructions, explanations etc that are clear are explained in easy language or stages and are therefore easy to understand: · Most of the 'help' messages you get on computers aren't at all clear to ordinary home users.· Thanks for your directions to the apartment - they were really clear and we had no problems finding it.· Perhaps I didn't make myself clear - there won't be a penny of extra money for this project.
something that is comprehensible is easy to understand because it does not contain any complicated information and is expressed in very clear language: · Visual aids can make lessons much more interesting and comprehensible.· Each entry in the guide is brief and immediately comprehensible.comprehensible to: · The music was experimental, and not comprehensible to the average concert-goer.
something that is intelligible , such as a subject you study or a piece of writing or speech, is fairly easy to understand: · Her English was strongly accented but quite intelligible.intelligible to: · It is sometimes difficult to discuss medical issues in a way that is intelligible to ordinary people.
books, films, information etc that are accessible are written or made in a way that is easy to understand even though they may concern subjects that are complicated: · Philip Glass has produced something very rare -- an accessible modern opera.· I don't find James Joyce's writing very accessible.accessible to: · He was specifically asked to write a play that would be accessible to the local community.
a piece of writing or speech that is coherent is easy to understand because it is clear and well-planned, so that all the parts fit well together: · I was so confused that I could not give a coherent answer.· Rescuers found Campbell, who was conscious and coherent.· History could be defined as a coherent account of an event.
WORD SETSamber, nounamethyst, nounapricot, nounaquamarine, nounashen, adjectiveauburn, adjectiveazure, adjectivebar, nounbarred, adjectivebeige, nounblack, adjectiveblack, nounblack, verbblack and white, adjectiveblacken, verbbleed, verbblood-red, adjectiveblue, adjectiveblue, nounbluish, adjectivebold, adjectivebottle green, nounbrassy, adjectivebrindled, adjectivebronze, nounbronze, adjectivebrown, adjectivebrown, nounbuff, nounburgundy, nouncarmine, nouncarroty, adjectivecerise, nouncerulean, nounchartreuse, nouncherry, nounchestnut, nounchestnut, adjectivechromatic, adjectivechrome yellow, nounclaret, nounclear, adjectivecoffee, nouncool, adjectivecopper, nouncoral, adjectivecream, adjectivecreamy, adjectivecrimson, adjectivecyan, adjectivedappled, adjectivedapple-grey, nounDay-Glo, adjectivediscoloration, noundiscolour, verbdrab, adjectivedull, adjectivedun, noundusky, adjectivedye, verbebony, adjectivefawn, adjectiveflaxen, adjectiveflesh-coloured, adjectiveflorid, adjectivefluorescent, adjectiveflush, nounfuchsia, noungarish, adjectivegarnet, noungaudy, adjectivegay, adjectiveginger, adjectivegold, noungold, adjectivegolden, adjectivegray, green, adjectivegreen, noungreenish, adjectivegrey, adjectivegrey, noungreyish, adjectivehazel, adjectiveindigo, nouniridescent, adjectiveivory, nounjade, nounjet-black, adjectivekhaki, nounlavender, nounleaden, adjectivelemon, nounlilac, nounlily-white, adjectivelime green, nounlivid, adjectiveloud, adjectiveluminous, adjectivelurid, adjectivemagenta, nounmagnolia, nounmahogany, nounmaroon, nounmatch, nounmauve, nounmellow, adjectivemellow, verbmonochrome, adjectivemousy, adjectivemuddy, adjectivemulticoloured, adjectivemustard, nounmuted, adjectivenavy blue, adjectiveneutral, adjectiveochre, nounoff-white, nounolive, nounopalescent, adjectiveorange, nounpale, adjectivepastel, nounpastel, adjectivepeach, nounpea green, nounpearly, adjectivepepper-and-salt, adjectivepink, adjectivepink, nounpinkish, adjectiveplum, nounplum, adjectivepowder blue, nounprimary colour, nounprimrose, nounprismatic, adjectivepuce, adjectivepure, adjectivepurple, nounpurplish, adjectivered, adjectivered, nounredden, verbreddish, adjectiveredhead, nounrestrained, adjectiverich, adjectiverose, nounrose, adjectiveroseate, adjectiverose-coloured, adjectiverosy, adjectiveroyal blue, nounruby, nounruddy, adjectiverusset, nounsable, adjectivesaffron, nounscarlet, adjectivesepia, nounshade, nounshocking pink, nounsienna, nounsilver, nounsilver, adjectivesilvery, adjectivesky-blue, adjectivesnow-white, adjectivesnowy, adjectivesoft, adjectivesombre, adjectivesteely, adjectivetaupe, nountawny, adjectiveteal, nountint, nountint, verbtone, nounturquoise, nountwo-tone, adjectiveultramarine, nounumber, nounvermilion, nounvibrant, adjectiveviolet, nounwarm, adjectivewaxen, adjectiveweak, adjectivewhite, adjectivewhite, nounwhiten, verbwhitish, adjectiveyellow, adjectiveyellow, nounyellow, verbyellowy, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear. We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. She had perfect diction. Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round. The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind. Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.
· Children may have difficulty in making their feelings clear.
(=understand something properly)· I was trying to get the idea clear in my mind.
adverbs· His answer was perfectly clear.
(=extremely clear)· The instructions on the packet are crystal clear.
formal (=extremely clear)· By July the scale of the problem had become abundantly clear.
· Sam’s reasons for leaving were not entirely clear.
nouns (=a good understanding)· Some work experience should give you a clear idea of what the job involves.
phrases· The tone of her voice made it clear that she was very angry.
(=express yourself in a way that is easy to understand)· Please tell me if I’m not making myself clear.
(=be very unclear)· The directions she gave me were far from clear.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear.· I’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.
· I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.
We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. (=one of the banks in Britain that uses a clearing house when dealing with other banks)· large commercial customers of the clearing banks
I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. (=disappear)· At last the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.
(=without any spots)· Eating fresh fruit and vegetables will help keep your complexion clear.
Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. (=explain something more clearly)· The chairman said that he would try to clear up the confusion.
· There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
(=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong)· I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.
· Does he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?
(=one that people agree on and understand)· There was no clear consensus about the future direction of the company.
· There was a clear contrast between the father and the son.
· There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
(=says that they are not guilty)· A US court cleared him of bribery allegations.
(=repay all of them)· It took him three years to clear his bank debts.
(=a definite one)· It's now time to come to a clear decision on this.
· The head teacher gave us a precise definition of the school’s aims.
· He gave us a clear description of the situation in the city.
(=remove all the papers etc from it)· It's a good idea to clear your desk regularly.
She had perfect diction.· His directions were very clear and easy to follow.
· The legal system makes a clear distinction between adults and children.
· There is clear evidence that smoking causes heart disease.
(=cut down and remove the trees)· Huge areas of forest have been cleared since 1960.
(=make it very easy to guess something) He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway.
He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway. (=that you can see through rather than being coloured)· The drink comes in clear glass bottles.
Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses.· Your handwriting is much neater than mine.
(=deal successfully with a problem)
(=successfully jump over a hurdle)
· He had the clear impression that most people were in favour of the idea.
(=goes away)· Although the infection cleared up, he still felt weak.
· The instructions that I got with the phone weren’t very clear.
(=jump out of danger) We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.
We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.· The ruling Labour Party has a clear lead in the opinion polls.
(=a majority that has been won by more than half the votes)· There was no party with an absolute majority in the House of Commons.
The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind.· The vote gave the trade union a clear mandate to pursue a better settlement.
· I have a clear memory of the first time I met David.
Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! (=goes away)· The mountains suddenly appeared as the mist lifted.
(=get rid of a misunderstanding)· I want to talk to you, to try and clear up any misunderstandings.
· She had no clear motive to lie.
(=prove that you have not done something bad or illegal)· She was determined to clear her name.
(=one that really exists)· There is a real need for after-school care in our area.
· A manager must give his team clear objectives to work towards.
· Peeling off the tape after the paint has dried leaves a clear outline to the shapes.
It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.· Clear patches of brilliant blue sky appeared briefly through the white storm clouds.
· He still didn’t have a clear picture of what had happened.
· There was no clear policy on this matter.
· There was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.
· His indecision is clear proof of his inability to handle the situation.
· The report offered no clear recommendations or policy guidelines.
(=with no traffic or nothing blocking it)· Before you overtake, make sure the road is clear.
· There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
· My body was giving me a clear signal that something was wrong.
(=smooth and without any red spots)· Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.
(=without clouds)· The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky.
(=the clouds disappear)· By dawn the sky had cleared.
(=disappears)· The kitchen door was still open, and inside the smoke was clearing.
· Jack cleared a space for his newspaper on the table.
British English (=step away from something in order to be safe) Stand clear of the doors, please.
Stand clear of the doors, please. (=giving an opinion clearly)· The article was a clear statement of his beliefs.
· It is important that the company has a clear strategy.
(=take plates etc off)· Do you want me to clear the table?
· Above 24,000 feet, the lack of oxygen makes clear thinking almost impossible.
· Before you begin, it is vital that you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
· This is a clear violation of privacy rights.
· She blinked to clear her vision.
· Natalia’s clear voice rang out.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The precise relationship between these two meanings of unreasonable is not absolutely clear.· This statement should be absolutely clear in the minds of everyone concerned.· This makes it absolutely clear that the early road and the drains belong in a mid to late second-century context.· Our own door gunners were not allowed to fire unless they saw an absolutely clear target.· What is absolutely clear is that the three prisoners have themselves vehemently protested their innocence from day one.· Her hair is pure white, her face covered with spidery lines, but her eyes are absolutely clear, sparkling.· Mr. Allan Stewart I can make the position absolutely clear.· It was absolutely clear to me he was in no danger.
· If modern psychology has done one thing, it has surely made this fact abundantly clear.· One other point about the two union leaders was abundantly clear.· It makes it abundantly clear that even the possession and academic presentation of information necessary for an ethnography could be actionable.· This is made abundantly clear at our first impromptu committee meeting in the bar of the Gardener's Arms.· To would-be revolutionaries it was becoming abundantly clear that their central problem was lack of contact with the masses.· But that act has more to do with the future than the present, as chapter 23 will make abundantly clear.· He didn't believe her, as he made abundantly clear by looking contemptuously down his straight nose at her.
· A comparison of new season whole hops to hop oils, is, however, less clear cut.· Subsequent studies have come to less clear conclusions, and a few scientists believe that the monkey results are explained by chance.· What is less clear is whether they were cut in Kent or imported ready cut.· The letter to Mr. Purkayastha is less clear.· The pattern is less clear and less consistent for Latino students.· The law regarding mandamus was less clear.· In the textile districts the position was less clear.
· Sebastian was not quite clear about his own job intentions at this stage, nor did he have to be so.· It was by this time not quite clear exactly which lands in the Company's possession related to the original bequest.· Fortunately the situation is quite clear.· It's quite clear that the influence of soul music in pop has become poisonous, repressive, grey and total.· Our constitutional rules and regulations are quite clear and not to be infringed.· It's quite clear which is which in Burke's Peerage.· This becomes quite clear in some of the significant details of Schleiermacher's account.· The company makes it quite clear that giving younger people career opportunities may mean moving older employees down the status ladder.
· As you near the village of Kentmere the beauty of the Lake District becomes so clear.· Just where all these so-called residential geese came from is not so clear.· I almost turned round, so clear was the tone, so near.· But in some states, the law is not so clear.· But though the mind pictures were so clear, there was nothing more.· What actually disturbed him is not so clear.· Finally, the case being so clear, a recommendation was made to proceed immediately with Stevenage.· It requires that we critically examine a beliefs rooted in our understanding of Scripture that previously seemed so clear.
· He made it very clear he would like to kill police officers.· His style of conducting is very clear, yet also spontaneous.· It was a very clear day and we could see a long way.· I did want to be very clear and a lot more focused in what I was saying.· After the 1987 election Mrs Thatcher can claim to have a very clear mandate.· Industrial ReD in the public sector is a relatively new phenomenon and the expectations from it are not very clear.· But now the truth was very clear.· But also, jobs is very clear about the future state.
NOUN· At the very least a clear case is owed a clear explanation if it is rejected.· Firestone's view of gender relations as determined by reproduction is the clearest case.· It was a clear case of personal patronage, but he was to remain executive head for thirty-three years.· And a clear case of life imitating astrology.· The only clear case where this strategy succeeded was when Thatcher introduced the SinnFéin broadcasting ban.· Nevertheless there is a clear case for its practice in public libraries, and even in university provision for undergraduates.· The record of Ricci's behaviour is, to our knowledge, the first clear case of teaching in any non-human animal.
· Now they could dance with a clear conscience.· He feigned a teasing laugh, a clear conscience.· And who has a clear conscience?· Sophie and the child will be taken care of, and because of that I can live with a clear conscience.· Maybe not even cynical, maybe just female practicality which can stoop with clearest conscience below the level of the lowest stratagem.· But at any rate I can finally dust my hands and put my jacket on with a clear conscience.· Lawn owners have good reason for keeping clear consciences and generally living each day as through it were their last.· I am convinced that only my genuinely clear conscience let me convince the adults around me that I was totally innocent.
· For women, the social customs do not seem to permit such a clear distinction between work and leisure.· For there is a clear distinction between tolerating dissent and propagating it.· It asserts that there is a clear distinction between the two kinds of statement and that there is no third kind.· In other words, there is a clear distinction between application logic and the computer representation of that logic.· There is now a clear distinction between two strands of modern elite theory.· The clear distinction between the old and modern lacquers also offers hope of a means of identifying fakes.· Is there in fact such a clear distinction to be maintained between civil association or societas and enterprise association or universitas?· There appears to be a clear distinction between the causes of uplift on the western and eastern sides of the central Andes.
· There is no clear evidence that the Wilson-Mitchell partnership survived for long.· By this he gives clear evidence of his innate greatness of soul.· The clearest evidence for this is the dearth of people keen to work with frail older people.· There is clear evidence of how much people on the estate need their buses.· There is no clear evidence of strong prejudice among young-old people against their elders in Britain.· The low circulation and poor distribution of leading literary journals provide clear evidence of the élitist character of the cultured few.· There is clear evidence of localization of function in the cortex.· There is no clear evidence that women receive massively more favourable treatment from the police or the courts.
· Rothenbuhler's experiments on the hygienic behaviour of bees provides a very clear example of the genetic control of behaviour.· Section 16 is a clear example and functions almost as an exclamation point to the first 15 sections.· Two of the clearest examples are to be seen in the courses followed by Gerry Healy and Michel Pablo and their followers.· This seems a clear example of his allegiance to popular dissent against the Church and social elite who supported the Restoration.· Here is a clear example of a rare rock type that has been strongly concentrated by lunar geological activity.· A clear example of a mutation altering development is the inherited genetic defect, sickle cell anaemia.· The clearest example of an incompetent teacher is one who lacks knowledge about the subject he or she is supposed to teach.
· She had no clear idea of what a mortgage was.· Only the proprietor of the six left in the room had a clear idea of what the concept meant.· Gates had always had a clear idea of what he wanted to be: the prime software supplier to the world.· Yet very few businesses have any clear idea of what crime is actually costing them.· I mean have you got a clear idea of the relationship between the so-called Author and his character.· I have very clear ideas about dressing gowns.· Sutcliffe's data show that these speakers have a very clear idea of what, for them, constitutes a basilectal utterance.
· There had to be very clear indications of joint working.· Perhaps the clearest indication of this was the difficulty he encountered in filling the job of finance minister in his new cabinet.· This is an extensive site with clear indications of buildings and levelled platforms.· The failure to win additional numbers for the expansion we have achieved is a clear indication of that movement.· Resentment of this magnitude was a clear indication of the failure of the avowed policy of pacification and Romanization.· Some of the clearest indications of Anderson's vagueness occur at the level of topic-control.· This is a clear indication of a central principle of planning for Cramlington.· Perhaps the clearest indication of the quality of the One Key series is given by the documentation.
· As was noted earlier, elections in Northern Ireland itself have always produced clear majorities in favour of Unionist government.· A clear majority of the nine students wore Nikes.· For all that, observers are unanimous that Swapo will emerge with a clear majority.· It will be a clear majority when the century turns.· Join Congress, Mr Gandhi seemed to be saying, and create a party strong enough to have a clear majority.· For the first time in decades, the 500-seat Chamber is without a clear majority.· The Opposition has agreed to abstain, which means the Government will win a clear majority.· In each case a clear majority of Republican voters rejected him.
· For a politician to have a clear objective is to offer hostages to his opponents.· The teams are performing as self managed units although the manager will agree clear objectives with the team.· Teachers and students will appreciate the clear objectives and simple layout.· A clear objective was set and adhered to: recapture the islands.· The right of employers and employees to be aware of clear objectives and detailed targets for training performance.· Indeed, the concept of success could scarcely apply since it worked to no clear objectives.· If purposeful, goal-directed activity is to take place, clear objectives need to be set for all the organisation's activities.· Finally, the purpose of this section has been to help teachers write clear objectives.
· When these figures are carefully decoded, a remarkably clear picture of the whole military organization emerges.· Attempts to gain a clearer picture of this boundary layer floundered for several decades.· A team at University College, London, produced the first clear pictures of interiors, using microchips as the specimens.· The spate of incidents may provide a clearer picture of changes that might be needed in those regulations.· Our purpose is to establish a clear picture of events that took place during the mission to Rakhat.· At last, a clear picture of music lovers and lovers.· Some achievements Against this background, the evaluators found it difficult to establish a clear picture of exactly what the panel achieved.· I need you to paint me a clear picture of the changes you expect to see three months down the road.
· The smaller bones from the feet showed no clear signs of alteration.· And why do chronic drinkers seem to show clear signs of cognitive dysfunction?· It had recently withdrawn the ice-breaker Endurance, generally taken as a clear sign of retreat.· Despite clear signs of weakness in his support, Sen.· They talked to each other again, and then the first horse made clear signs for me to follow him.· During Period 4, the infant shows clear signs of event anticipation.· Heseltine watchers could have wished for no clearer sign of his leadership intentions.· There are clear signs that the process is already well advanced.
· However, they still had no luck as, here again, there was no clear signal.· But his arrest is not a clear signal that the opposite is true.· And the Bush administration is sending clear signals that it would welcome such a deal.· The peer group gives out clear signals to its members both about style and about fundamental values and perspectives.· The above discussion suggests that, when needed, clear signals of information status can be employed in written language.
· She looked up at the clear sky.· The days were hot, filled with relentless sunshine and clear skies.· Endlessly clear skies and lowering water tables.· At a great distance, the ghostly frost of a snow peak seemed suspended from the clear sky.· They had been so lucky with the weather; a clear sky, and a soft breeze that kept everyone comfortable.· A flat-calm water, clear sky and a bright quarter moon are not the sort of conditions we associate with good catches.· Away from the haze and lights of the city, bright stars fill the spectacularly clear sky.
· Is there a clear understanding of joint and individual areas of responsibility of headteacher and governors?· This requires a clear understanding of the cellular and biochemical process of wound healing and the mechanisms of individual types of injury.· Equally, it is important that a searcher should have a clear understanding of indexing methods.· A clear understanding of the task by the partner and/or manager is a prerequisite for good communication.· Vital to such decisions is a clear understanding of system functions, failure modes and the consequences of failure.· Meanwhile parents like Gwen Watkins just want their voice to be heard and a clearer understanding of a tragic chain of deaths.· They can give the same information as the text, giving the reader two opportunities of gaining clear understanding.· Practitioners need a clear understanding of the processes by which social inequalities of various forms are derived from prejudicial and stereotypical attitudes.
· But I had a clear view of the table last night, and it wasn't there.· Cameras offer no clear view of what is going on in the background.· He moved slowly and cautiously, and kept his hands in clear view.· Federal guidelines require that tower personnel clearing aircraft for arrivals and departures have clear views of runways below them.· By the time the enquiry and analysis stage is concluded, relatively clear views are formed as to where best practice exists.· For it to work, the unit needs a clear view of the sky.· Gain attention first, make sure there is a clear view of your face.· Primo briefly has a clear view of the menu, written on paper plates taped to the quilted-tin wall.
· Namely, clear vision for the driver, whatever the conditions.· But the history of New York development shows how haphazard such controls can be if there is no such clear vision.· That view may be interpreted as a piece of self-delusion, or as a clear vision.· They are able to do this be-cause they start out with a clear vision of where they want to go.· My brain is filled full of vague images, but no clear vision of one necessary thing.· The ring is virtually invisible around the central cornea which is the critical area for clear vision.· Put simply, polarisation works like a venetian blind to cut reflection from above and below yet still allow clear vision.· We have to keep dragging ourselves to our feet to peek out again and again, until we have a clear vision.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the all clear► leave the field clear for somebody► when the smoke clears
- Finley said that he had a clear conscience and that the charges were unfounded.
- Let them say whatever they like. I have a clear conscience.
- Smith says he has a clear conscience about what happened.
- You can face Lionel with a clear conscience -- you've done nothing to harm him.
- A Clear Conscience A close companion to a forgiving spirit is a clear conscience.
- And who has a clear conscience?
- But at any rate I can finally dust my hands and put my jacket on with a clear conscience.
- He feigned a teasing laugh, a clear conscience.
- My understanding of shareware is that it can be freely distributed but requires registration by the user for a clear conscience.
- Now they could dance with a clear conscience.
- Sophie and the child will be taken care of, and because of that I can live with a clear conscience.
- They could claim, with a clear conscience, that their feet had never left Ross-shire soil.
- If you can see your way clear, call this number to volunteer.
- Finally he could see his way clear to his goal.
- Eventually, he was cleared of the charge when she admitted to lying.
- He and two friends were cleared of the killing on appeal earlier this week.
- He grabbed him, flipping him over on to his back so that the gunman's mouth and nostrils were clear of the sea.
- Others, like Pearl Robbins, in her 70s, skipped their turn to cross until the crosswalk was clear of cars.
- The burglars were cleared of any involvement in her disappearance.
- The gutter between the sidewalk and granite slabs is cleared of leaves and litter.
- The humped-up middle part was clear of the water.
- The Red River delta was cleared of the Viet Minh, who retired to the hills.
- Joe's directions are as clear as mud.
- What this really means, of course, is still as clear as mud.
- It's abundantly clear why he's running for governor.
- But that act has more to do with the future than the present, as chapter 23 will make abundantly clear.
- But then if you look at politicians today, the answer becomes abundantly clear.
- He didn't believe her, as he made abundantly clear by looking contemptuously down his straight nose at her.
- If modern psychology has done one thing, it has surely made this fact abundantly clear.
- That was made abundantly clear at a colourful congress in the provincial capital, Jayapura, last month.
- This was abundantly clear in the textile district of the West Riding.
- To would-be revolutionaries it was becoming abundantly clear that their central problem was lack of contact with the masses.
- Ecumenically it is as important as anything.
- We raced out the door as soon as the coast was clear.
- Or do you wait till they tire of the taunting and go to release the victim when the coast is clear?
- It will blow the cobwebs away.
- Talk about blowing the cobwebs away!
- The play's message is loud and clear.
- And unlike the Democrats' proposals, its message rang home loud and clear with the likes of Jigeehuu and Gankhuag.
- But the message is loud and clear.
- Converse glanced at the bearded man and the thrill of recognition rang loud and clear.
- I did, loud and clear.
- I say, and I say it loud and clear.
- The voices of the cruel are loud and clear.
- Through the crack under the door I could smell Shelly loud and clear.
- Finally he could see his way clear to his goal.
- Small builders can not see their way to take on many trainees.
- There was just enough light for her to see her way to the bathroom.
- British politicians tend to steer clear of religious topics.
- George Deukejian urged the candidate to steer clear of the issue, which he considers divisive.
- Hongkong Bank steered clear of the mania to lend to third-world countries that peaked in the early 1980s.
- I think readers should be warned to steer clear of these fish in the future.
- Investors steered clear of big-name high techs in favor of shares like karaoke equipment trader Nikkodo.
- Most of the multinationals have steered clear of commitments so far.
- Others steered clear of temptation, like singer Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate.
- Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.
- She must steer clear of Matthew and then perhaps this ridiculous infatuation would wear off.
- Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.
- He cleared his throat and laid his finger along his nose.
- He coughed and cleared his throat again and looked up at the clerk.
- Hearst interjected, clearing his throat loudly.
- She cleared her throat, and looked at the Lakshmi again.
- She taps on the desk with an inverted pencil and clears her throat.
- Then Bette flounced up and cleared her throat nervously.
- Threlfall cleared his throat loudly before turning.
- Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.
- He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.
- He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.
- She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.
- Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.
- Was he paving the way for another referendum?
- When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way.
WORD FAMILYnounclarityclearanceclearingclarificationclearnessverbclearclarifyadverbclearclearlyadjectiveclear ≠ unclear
1easy to understand expressed in a simple and direct way so that people understand: clear instructions The question wasn’t very clear. It’s the clearest guide I’ve used.clear about The school is clear about its policy on bullying.clear about what/when/how etc Be very clear about what jobs should be completed, and by when.clear on The rules are quite clear on the point.clear to It was clear to him that Tolkien was a literary genius.make something clear The bishop made his views clear in a letter to the publisher. How can you make the meaning clearer?make it clear that Make it clear that you will not take sides.absolutely/abundantly clear Can I make it absolutely clear that we did not intend this to happen? Perhaps I tried to cover too much and didn’t make myself clear (=express myself well). If you don’t understand, it’s best to say so and get things clear. If I catch you smoking again, you’re grounded. Do I make myself clear? (=used when you are angry)clear picture/idea (=a good understanding) The report gave a clear picture of the property’s condition. He writes crystal clear (=very easy to understand) prose.2impossible to doubt impossible to doubt, question, or make a mistake about: clear evidence of guilt They won by a clear majority.it is clear whether/why/how etc It’s not clear whether he shares her views.it is clear (that) It’s clear that the drug does benefit some patients. When it became clear that I was pregnant, he left me.clear case/example of something a clear case of sexual discrimination► see thesaurus at obvious3sure about something feeling certain that you know or understand somethingclear about/on Are you all clear now about what you have to do?clear whether/what/how etc I’m still not really clear how this machine works. Let me get this clear – you hadn’t seen her in three days? a clearer understanding of the issues4thinking able to think sensibly and quickly: She felt that her thinking was clearer now. In the morning, with a clear head, she’d tackle the problem.5substance/liquid easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty SYN transparent OPP cloudy, opaque: clear glass bottles a crystal clear mountain lake6weather clean and fresh, without clouds or mist: a clear June morning The skies were clear and blue.7eyes healthy, very pure in colour, and without any redness: clear blue eyes8skin smooth and without any red spots: a clear complexion9easy to see having details, edges, lines etc that are easy to see, or shapes that are easy to recognize: a TV with a clear picture and high-quality sound10easy to hear easy to hear, and therefore easy to understand: a clear speaking voice The radio reception isn’t very clear. It’s a good recording; the sound is as clear as a bell (=very clear).11after tax a clear amount of profit, wages etc is what is left after taxes have been paid on it SYN net: I get £200 a week clear. Sam makes a clear $90,000 per year.12a clear conscience the knowledge that you have done the right thing and should not feel guilty: I don’t think I could vote for him with a clear conscience. She had done what she could and her conscience was clear.13period of time without any planned activities or events: Next Monday is clear; how about ten o'clock?14not busy complete or whole: Allow three clear days for delivery.15not blocked/covered not covered or blocked by anything that stops you from doing or seeing what you want: The roads were fairly clear this morning.clear view/look From the top floor you get a clear view of the bay.clear of To prevent fires, the sides of the roads are kept clear of underbrush.16see your way clear (to doing something) informal to have the necessary time or willingness to be able to do something: We expect good results soon, if the board can see its way clear to continuing funding the project.17be clear of something to not be touching something, or to be past someone or something: Wait to cross until the street is clear of cars. The curtains should be a couple of inches clear of the floor.18as clear as mud spoken used humorously to say that something is very difficult to understand—clearness noun [uncountable] → all clear, → the coast is clear at coast1(2)COLLOCATIONSverbsmake something clear· Children may have difficulty in making their feelings clear.get something clear (=understand something properly)· I was trying to get the idea clear in my mind.adverbsabsolutely/perfectly clear· His answer was perfectly clear.crystal clear (=extremely clear)· The instructions on the packet are crystal clear.abundantly clear formal (=extremely clear)· By July the scale of the problem had become abundantly clear.not entirely clear· Sam’s reasons for leaving were not entirely clear.nounsa clear picture/idea (=a good understanding)· Some work experience should give you a clear idea of what the job involves.phrasesmake it clear that· The tone of her voice made it clear that she was very angry.make yourself clear (=express yourself in a way that is easy to understand)· Please tell me if I’m not making myself clear.be far from clear/be by no means clear (=be very unclear)· The directions she gave me were far from clear.THESAURUS– Meaning 5easy to see throughclear easy to see through, rather than coloured or dirty: · The table top is a piece of clear glass.· a clear liquid· The water was so clear that you could see down to the bottom of the lake.transparent clear – used especially about materials and solid things. Transparent is a little more formal than clear: · Fill a transparent plastic bottle with water.· a piece of transparent film· Melt 2 ounces of butter in a large frying pan, and cook the onions until they are almost transparent.see-through made of a very thin material that you can see through – used especially about women’s clothes: · She wore a black see-through dress.limpid literary clear – used especially about water or other liquids . This is a very formal word which is used in novels and literature: · limpid pools· She gave her a golden flask of limpid olive oil.difficult to see throughopaque difficult to see through: · The shower has an opaque glass door.clear1 adjectiveclear2 verbclear3 adverbclear4 noun
clearclear2 ●●● S1 W2 verb VERB TABLE
clear
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | clear |
| he, she, it | clears | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | cleared |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have cleared |
| he, she, it | has cleared | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had cleared |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will clear |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have cleared |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am clearing |
| he, she, it | is clearing | |
| you, we, they | are clearing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was clearing |
| you, we, they | were clearing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been clearing |
| he, she, it | has been clearing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been clearing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be clearing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been clearing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A good lawyer can clear $250,000 a year easily.
- A jury cleared the company of all criminal charges in connection with the accident.
- After Pagones was cleared in court, he sued his accusers.
- Delta 7, you are cleared for takeoff.
- He cleared the first two obstacles, but hit the top of the third.
- Marshall was given his job back after being cleared of accusations that he abused drugs.
- Police cleared the building and carried out a controlled explosion.
- Sandra cleared £50,000 last year.
- The area around the palace had been cleared for the parade.
- The fog usually clears around noon.
- The report was cleared by the State Department.
- There was a sprinkling of applause as the horses cleared the last fence.
- This cheque should clear my overdraft.
- We're hoping that we can clear all our debts by the end of the year.
- Wiley's business clears $300,000 a year.
- A pin was inserted to stabilize the ligament, and scar tissue from the previous injury had to be cleared.
- Jurors took less than a half-hour Thursday to clear professional football star Warren Moon of assaulting his wife.
- So she was asked to undertake an elimination diet, which cleared these symptoms within a week.
- The weather cleared too, and they were rowed diagonally south-west across the Sound of Sleat.
Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand
· The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
to make something completely clear · I tried to make clear exactly what I meant.make it clear (that) · The teacher made it clear that she would not allow talking in class.make something clear · We want to make the rules clear from the beginning.make yourself clear (=make it clear what you mean) · Am I making myself clear?
formal to make something clearer, especially because people have not completely understood it: · I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.clarify your position (=make it clear what you think about something and what your intentions are): · The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
to explain something in the clearest possible way, especially when you think it should be unnecessary to make things so simple or to give so many details: · Do I have to spell out to you how important this is to me?· Andrews was asked to spell out exactly how pensions would be affected.· Campbell spelled out the reasons why staff reductions were necessary.
informal to state something clearly and strongly, especially something that other people may be unwilling to listen to or accept: · I'm going to lay it on the line. If you don't quit drinking, I'm going to leave you.
if you say something in no uncertain terms , you make your meaning very clear, especially when you are annoyed with someone about something: · The president of the university condemned racism on campus in no uncertain terms.· You've got to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you will no longer tolerate his abuse.
not clear · It is unclear how the man died.· The instructions aren't very clear.· The terms of our tenancy agreement are somewhat unclear.· The reasons for his resignation are still not clear.unclear/not clear about · His ideas are good, but he's very unclear about how he's going to achieve them.unclear/not clear whether/what/why etc · It's not clear why Parks didn't go straight to the police.· It is unclear whether the she will agree to the new arrangements.
having more than one possible meaning and therefore confusing and unclear: · The document's ambiguous wording makes it very difficult to follow.deliberately ambiguous (=intended to be difficult to understand): · The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.
words or statements that are imprecise are unclear because they do not describe or explain something in an exact way when this is necessary: · Many of the terms used in this book are imprecise.· She gave me directions to the hotel, but they were, shall we say, somewhat imprecise.
unclear, especially because not enough details are given: · There have been vague rumours of a coup.vague idea: · I only had a vague idea of where the place was.vague about: · He was rather vague about the reasons why he never finished school.
a confusing situation, story, explanation, etc is difficult to understand because there does not seem to be any clear pattern or order to it: · The kidnappers issued a series of confusing demands.· I found the book really confusing. I kept forgetting who the characters were.· Cricket can be a pretty confusing game for non-players.
if something that someone tells you is muddled or garbled , it is very unclear and confusing because they themselves have not really understood it very well: · I heard a garbled version of the story from one of my students.· Conroy made some muddled statement about how company policy has to be observed in these situations.· The old woman's directions were so garbled that I just rolled up the window and drove on.
unintelligible speech or writing is impossible to understand, for example because the words are not clear or it is written very badly: · Her note was practically unintelligible.· I liked the music but the lyrics were completely unintelligible.
when it is not clear what is happening or why something happens · It is not clear why the disease affects some people and not others.· The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
a situation that is confused is difficult to understand because a lot of things are happening at the same time and you do not have enough information about it: · Newspaper reports give a rather confused picture of the state of the economy.· US policy towards China has always seemed mixed and confused.· The situation in the city centre is getting increasingly confused, and riot police have been told to stand by.
to make something unclear to make a situation unclear by making it more complicated: · The instructions just confused me even more.· The Press Secretary gave a completely different version of events, which greatly confused the situation.confuse matters further (=make things more confused): · I think my explanation only confused matters further.
to make the difference between two ideas or subjects unclear: · The difference between male and female roles within the house has become blurred.· The show blurs the difference between education and entertainment.· His novels tend to blur the distinctions between reality and fantasy.
to make a subject or problem unclear by bringing in ideas, information, etc that are not really connected with it: · The Supreme Court's latest decision has only clouded the issue of gun control.· I'm talking about social problems. My opponent is just confusing the issue when he keeps referring to family values.
clear and easy to see · He had left clear footprints in the wet sand.· Even after two thousand years the writing is quite clear.· Most of the photos were very sharp and clear.
an object, line, or shape that is distinct is very clear so that you can easily see that it is separate from the things around it: · The sign's lettering was crisp and distinct.· As night fell, the outline of the mountain became less distinct.
photographs/images/pictures · High-definition television is amazing. The picture is so clear.· The images of Mars sent back by the Voyager satellite are amazingly clear.
very clear, especially because the edges of objects are very easy to see: · "Clear, sharp photos every time," the advertisement promised.· Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharp outlines - almost like children's comics.
photographs, films, or images that are in focus have been photographed or filmed from the correct distance or with the camera correctly set, so that everything in the pictures is clear: · Several of the photos weren't in focus.· Roy adjusted the TV set so that the picture was in sharper focus.
not easy to see clearly · I'll try and read this, but the handwriting's pretty unclear.· The photos were not very clear.
a picture, shape, image etc that is faint is unclear because it is a long way away, there is not enough light, or it was very lightly drawn: · There were a few faint pencil lines on the page.faint outline: · On the wall you could see the faint outline of where a picture had once hung.
unclear so that only the general shape can be seen, and not small details: · Without my glasses, anything more than a few feet away looks blurred.· All I have to remind me of Albert are a few letters and a blurred photo.
a photograph, television picture etc that is fuzzy is not clear, and it is difficult to see separate edges and objects, often because there is something wrong with your equipment or with the way the pictures were taken: · Police have only a fuzzy videotape of the bank robbery.· a fuzzy snapshot
a view that is hazy is not clear because there is a slight mist caused by heat, smoke etc: · The view to the west was hazy.hazy with: · The room was hazy with smoke.
to stop arguing also make it up British especially spoken if two people who know each other well make up or make it up , they stop arguing and start being friendly to each other again: · I'm glad to see you two have made up.make up with: · Have you made it up with your sister yet?
if two people or organizations patch up or settle their differences , they stop arguing and discuss things in a sensible way until they come to an agreement: · Their final attempt to settle their differences ended in disappointment and separation.patch up your differences/settle your differences with: · Gary's first priority on his return home was to patch up his differences with his sister.
to agree to stop arguing and forgive each other, especially a long time after you first had the argument: · It's about time they buried the hatchet after all these years.· Since those two buried the hatchet, life in the office has been much quieter.
to talk calmly and seriously with someone about what you have been arguing about, in order to end the disagreement and feel better: · I think it's about time you called her to clear the air.· In an attempt to clear the air, Mills has planned a meeting with employees to discuss the issue.
behaving in a way that shows that you want to end an argument with someone: · The tone of my letter had been friendly and conciliatory, so I was disappointed by the cold reply I received.conciliatory gesture/message/tone etc: · American intelligence flights over Cuba had been stopped as a conciliatory gesture.
when two people, countries etc agree to stop arguing or fighting after a long period of disagreement, and have a friendly relationship again: · After years of fighting, there was now a spirit of national reconciliation in South Africa.reconciliation with: · Giles is not interested in a reconciliation with his father.reconciliation between: · A large group of demonstrators stayed up all night praying for reconciliation between the two countries.
to prove that someone should not be blamed to officially show that someone who has been blamed for something is not in fact responsible for it. Exonerate is more formal than clear .: · Simmons was tried and cleared of all charges.· False accusations were made, but he was eventually exonerated.
to earn an amount of money after tax etc has been taken away to earn a certain amount of money, after tax etc has been taken away from your pay: · Lidia takes home only about $150 a week.· Did you know that plumbers can take home as much as $40,000 a year?
to earn a particular amount of money as a profit after tax has been paid - use this especially to talk about companies or businesses making money: · For the first three months of 1990, Starcorp netted $547 million.· Donna got a raise in February, but she's still only netting $19,000 a year.
to earn a particular amount of money after tax etc has been taken away, especially in a job where you work for yourself: · Sandra cleared £50,000 last year.· A good lawyer can clear $250,000 a year easily.
to make everyone leave a place to empty a place by asking the people in it to leave: · Police cleared the building and carried out a controlled explosion.· The area around the palace had been cleared for the parade.
if the police or the authorities evacuate a place, they order everyone in it to leave, especially because it may be dangerous: · A five-block area had to be evacuated following the discovery of 500 pounds of dynamite in a house.· Terra, 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, was evacuated as the fires threatened to spread.
to make something empty to make something empty by removing what was in it: · The garbage cans are emptied once a week.empty your pockets: · The police made us stand against the wall and told us to empty our pockets.empty your glass (=drink everything that is in it): · "See you," he called, emptying his glass and making for the door.
to remove all the liquid from a large container or a machine: · The police even drained the lake in their search for the body.drain off something/drain something off: · To remove algae from your aquarium, drain off the water and wash the tank thoroughly.
to empty a room, cupboard, house etc, especially because you no longer want the things that are in it: clear out something: · I found a pile of her old letters while I was clearing out my desk.clear something out: · We have to clear the garage out this weekend.
British to empty a cupboard, a drawer, pockets etc, especially when you are looking for something: turn out something/turn something out: · The headteacher told them to turn out their pockets.· The thieves had turned out the drawer, scattering the contents on the floor.
to stop yourself feeling guilty to try to stop yourself feeling guilty by doing something good or kind: · She felt guilty and tried to salve her conscience by inviting him out for a meal.· Don't think you can salve your consciences by giving us money. We won't forgive you that easily.
to stop yourself feeling guilty by telling someone about something bad that you have done: · She decided to clear her conscience and confess everything.· He knew he might get into trouble if he went to the police but he had to do it to clear his conscience.
when a law court decides that someone is innocent · We find the defendant not guilty, Your Honor.· Despite the large amount of evidence against him, the jury found Gibson not guilty.find sb not guilty of · The two women were found not guilty of drug-trafficking.· It took the jurors less than three hours to find Gessler not guilty of murder.
if someone is acquitted by a law court, they are officially told they are not guilty of a crime: · Few observers expect the jury to acquit Mr Hoskins.· His lawyer thought he had a good chance of being acquitted at the trial, if no further evidence was found.acquit somebody of something: · To her relief she was acquitted of all the charges laid against her.
if you are cleared of a crime, a court of law says that you are innocent, because it is impossible to legally prove that you are guilty: · After Pagones was cleared in court, he sued his accusers.clear somebody of something: · A jury cleared the company of all criminal charges in connection with the accident.· Marshall was given his job back after being cleared of accusations that he abused drugs.
to go over something by jumping: jump over/across · The dog jumped the gate and ran away howling.· Ricky jumped across the stream and ran all the way home.· He raced down the garden and jumped over the wall.
especially written to go over something with a long or high jump: · I leapt the fence to safety, leaving the dog snarling behind me.leap over/across: · The bartender leapt over the bar and tried to stop the fight.
to jump over something, using your hands to help you: · He makes vaulting a five foot wall look easy.vault over: · Jack vaulted over the railings.
to jump over something easily without touching it, especially in a race: · He cleared the first two obstacles, but hit the top of the third.· There was a sprinkling of applause as the horses cleared the last fence.
to pay back money that you owe someone to give someone back money that you have borrowed from them: pay somebody back: · I'll pay you back tomorrow.pay back something: · How are you going to pay back all that money?· He's paid back about half of what he owes us.pay back a loan/debt etc: · After graduation, the student must begin to pay back the loan.
to pay a large amount of money that you owe, especially to a bank: · The loan has to be repaid within two years.· There were doubts about the country's ability to repay the debt.· My parents lent me the money to buy a car, and I repaid them over the next year.
to finish paying back an amount of money that you have borrowed: pay off a debt/loan/mortgage etc: · The mortgage will be paid off over twenty-five years.· He paid off the loan six months early.pay a debt/loan/mortgage etc off: · The country hopes to pay all its debts off within twenty years.
to pay money that you owe, especially when you do not want to or when you are late paying it: · If they don't pay up we will take legal action.· The company paid up eventually, but only after repeated threats and reminders.
: settle an account/bill/loan etc to pay money that you owe someone - used especially in business contexts: · Please settle this account within two weeks.· I settled the bill and left the restaurant.
to finally pay all the money that you owe, after some time or with some difficulty: · This cheque should clear my overdraft.· We're hoping that we can clear all our debts by the end of the year.
to give back to someone the money that they paid for something, especially because they are not satisfied with what they bought or there is something wrong with it: · We'll give you a refund if you're not entirely satisfied.· It's the wrong size. Do you think they'll give me my money back?
formal to pay money to someone for something that they have had to pay for or have lost because of you: · Pay for the hotel room when you leave, and the company will reimburse you later.· He wouldn't let me reimburse him for the cost of his journey.· We pay for any repairs that need doing to the house, and are reimbursed by the landlord.
an amount of money that is paid back to you, especially because you have paid too much in taxes, rent etc. In American English a tax rebate is called a tax refund: · The Ford Citibank credit card offers a 5 percent rebate on the purchase of a new Ford car or truck.tax/rent rebate British: · We were delighted to hear that we were entitled to a tax rebate of over £1000.
to make something possible · We are grateful to everyone who made this event possible.make it possible for somebody to do something · Satellite broadcasting made it possible for people all over the world to watch the 1960 Olympic Games.
especially written to make it possible for someone to do something that they want to do: allow/enable somebody to do something: · The Internet allows people to send messages all over the world.· The sports school has enabled 10,000 youngsters to receive free tuition in a wide range of sports.
formal to make it possible for something to happen or for someone to do something: · I would like to go into this argument in some detail, but time does not permit it.permit somebody to do something: · Unit pricing is a system that permits the customer to compare the costs of products.weather/ time etc permitting (=if the weather, time etc makes it possible): · In summer, meals are eaten in the garden, weather permitting.
to make it possible for something to happen by producing the right conditions for it: · Galileo's achievements in physical science paved the way for Newton's discoveries.· In 1930's Germany, the depression helped Hitler rise to power, paving the way for the Second World War.
to make it possible for something to happen by removing difficulties that existed before: · The removal of trade restrictions cleared the way for a rapid development of East-West relations.· a vote that cleared the way for the ordination of women priests
to find the answer or explanation to something to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery: · The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.· At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.· These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.
to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you: figure out/work out how/why/what etc: · My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven't figured out how it works.· From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night.figure/work out something: · The police haven't even managed to figure out a motive.figure/work something out: · Don't tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself.
to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time: · Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time.find an explanation for: · No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship's sudden disappearance.
to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved: clear up something: · I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me.clear something up: · Can you clear something up for us? How old are you?· The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery.
informal to find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time: · It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it.· Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it.
to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated: · We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.· Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?
to provide space for something to remove or move someone or something in order to provide space for another person or thing: make room for: · The theater was torn down in the early '80s, to make room for the Horton Plaza Shopping Center. · The campers made room for us around the fire.· There are two more people coming -- can you make room for them to sit down?
to move things, especially things that were untidy, to provide a space for something: · She cleared a space on her desk to put her computer.· The gardener was clearing a space so he could plant the young seedlings.
if a crowd makes way for someone or something, it divides to make a space for that person or thing to pass: · If you can all make way please, so we can get through.make way for: · The onlookers stepped back to make way for the ambulance to pass.
to make a place tidy to make a room, desk, or drawer tidy: · If you're not going to watch the football, you can tidy your room.· I haven't had time to tidy up yet.· I want this whole place tidied before I get back, ok?tidy up something: · You can start tidying up that mess you've made now.· She hung about after work, tidying up her desk.tidy something up: · Will you help me tidy the kitchen up a bit?tidy something away (=put something in the place where you usually keep it): · Come on, let's have these toys tidied away now.tidy up after somebody (=to have to clean a room and put things away after someone has been in there): · Both my sons think mothers are just here to tidy up after them.
American to make a place tidy and clean, by putting things in the right place or arranging them neatly: · Make the bed and straighten up in there.· Kelly, when you're through with your break, would you straighten the office?straighten something up: · The city's janitors went on strike, leaving thousands of workers to straighten their own offices up and empty their own trash.straighten up something: · After the kids have left for school, I straighten up the house.· You're not leaving till you get your room straightened up.
to make a place tidy and clean, by putting things away and removing dust or dirt: · Do you want me to help clean up?clean something up: · Thanks for cleaning the place up -- I really appreciate it.· It took us two or three days to clean it all up.clean up something: · Every time Jasper cooked for me, he would carefully clean up all the pans and plates he'd used.
British to get rid of all the things that are making a place dirty or untidy: · Who's going to clear up after the party?· John's offered to clear up the churchyard this weekend. clear something up: · It'll take ages to clear this up.· It looked as if Marie had already cleared the place up.clear up something: · Someone's got to clear up this mess!· Wait for me, I just need to clear up my desk.clear up after somebody (=tidy a place after someone else has made it untidy): · I spend my life clearing up after the children.
to put things away neatly in order to make a place tidy: pick up something: · Could you pick up the newspapers and magazines for me?pick something up: · Help me pick these things up. We have company coming.pick up after somebody (=put away things that someone else has used) especially American: · I feel like I spend all my time picking up after the kids.
British informal to tidy a place and put everything where it should be: · I like to get the house straight while the kids are at the youth club.· One of these days I'll get this garage straight.
especially British to organize something that is mixed up or untidy: sort something out: · I'm going to sit down quietly one day and sort my CDs out.sort out something: · I need to sort out the food cupboard, and make a shopping list.· We've got to sort out all our stuff to take home tonight.
WORD SETSacceptor, nounA/D, after date, adverbagio, nounAPACS, ARM, Asian Development Bank, nounATM, nounaval, nounbalance, nounbank, nounbank, verbbank account, nounbank balance, nounbankbook, nounbank card, nounbank draft, nounbanker, nounbanker's card, nounbanker's order, nounbank manager, nounbank mandate, bank money, banknote, nounbank rate, nounBBA, nounb/e, blank cheque, nounBoard of Banking Supervision, nounB of E, bounce, verbbuilding society, nounC/A, cap and collar, nouncapital adequacy, nouncard, nouncardholder, nouncash account, cash against documents, nouncash card, nouncash dispenser, nouncashier, nouncash machine, nouncash management, Cashpoint, nouncash ratio, central bank, nouncertificate of deposit, nouncertificate of protest, nouncharge account, nouncharge card, nouncheckbook, nounchecking account, nounchequebook, nouncheque card, nounCHIPS, CIB, clear, verbclearance, nounclearer, nounclearing bank, nounclearing house, nounClearing House Automated Payment System, nounClearing House Interbank Payments System, nounclient account, CMO, co-manager, nounComptroller of the Currency, nounconfirmed irrevocable credit, credit, verbcredit analysis, credit appraisal, credit control, credit facility, credit rationing, nouncross, verbcrossed cheque, nouncurrent account, nouncustodial account, debit, noundebit, verbdebit card, noundebit note, noundemand account, denomination, noundeposit, noundeposit account, noundeposit certificate, depositor, noundepository institution, deposit protection fund, noundevelopment bank, direct debit, noundirect deposit, noundiscount loan, documentary credit, draft, noundraw, verbeffective rate, EFTPOS, nounendorsee, nounendorser, nounescrow account, Euribor, nounEurodollar, nounEuropean interbank offered rate, export credit, extended credit, face amount, Federal funds, fiduciary, nounfinance charge, financial institution, nounforeign currency account, funder, nounFX, giro, nounhole-in-the-wall, nounidle balance, institutional investment, Issue Department, nounissuer, nounlodgment, nounlong-term credit, loro account, medium-term credit, merchant bank, nounmoney market, nounmoney order, nounnegotiable, adjectivenon-negotiable, adjectivenostro account, note issuance facility, notice account, NOW account, numbered account, overdraft, nounoverfunding, nounoverlend, verbpassbook, nounpayee, nounpaying-in book, nounpaying-in slip, nounpersonal credit, personal identification number, nounPIN, nounpostdate, verbpublic account, R/D, rediscounting, nounreserves, nounrevolving credit, risk analysis, nounsafety-deposit box, nounsave, verbsaver, nounsavings account, nounsavings bank, nounsecured credit, seignorage, nounself-liquidating, adjectiveshort-term credit, smart card, nounstanding order, nounstub, nounsuspense account, Switch card, nounteller, noununsecured credit, vostro account, yield spread,
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Dad cleared a space (=moved things so there was room) in the garage for Jim’s tools. It’s Kelly’s turn to clear the table (=remove the dirty plates, forks etc). a long-running legal battle to clear his name She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear. We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. She had perfect diction. Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round. The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind. Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.
Dad cleared a space (=moved things so there was room) in the garage for Jim’s tools. It’s Kelly’s turn to clear the table (=remove the dirty plates, forks etc). a long-running legal battle to clear his name (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)
British English (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear.· I’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.
· I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.
We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. (=one of the banks in Britain that uses a clearing house when dealing with other banks)· large commercial customers of the clearing banks
I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. (=disappear)· At last the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.
(=without any spots)· Eating fresh fruit and vegetables will help keep your complexion clear.
Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. (=explain something more clearly)· The chairman said that he would try to clear up the confusion.
· There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
(=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong)· I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.
· Does he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?
(=one that people agree on and understand)· There was no clear consensus about the future direction of the company.
· There was a clear contrast between the father and the son.
· There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
(=says that they are not guilty)· A US court cleared him of bribery allegations.
(=repay all of them)· It took him three years to clear his bank debts.
(=a definite one)· It's now time to come to a clear decision on this.
· The head teacher gave us a precise definition of the school’s aims.
· He gave us a clear description of the situation in the city.
(=remove all the papers etc from it)· It's a good idea to clear your desk regularly.
She had perfect diction.· His directions were very clear and easy to follow.
· The legal system makes a clear distinction between adults and children.
· There is clear evidence that smoking causes heart disease.
(=cut down and remove the trees)· Huge areas of forest have been cleared since 1960.
(=make it very easy to guess something) He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway.
He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway. (=that you can see through rather than being coloured)· The drink comes in clear glass bottles.
Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses.· Your handwriting is much neater than mine.
(=deal successfully with a problem)
(=successfully jump over a hurdle)
· He had the clear impression that most people were in favour of the idea.
(=goes away)· Although the infection cleared up, he still felt weak.
· The instructions that I got with the phone weren’t very clear.
(=jump out of danger) We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.
We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.· The ruling Labour Party has a clear lead in the opinion polls.
(=a majority that has been won by more than half the votes)· There was no party with an absolute majority in the House of Commons.
The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind.· The vote gave the trade union a clear mandate to pursue a better settlement.
· I have a clear memory of the first time I met David.
Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! (=goes away)· The mountains suddenly appeared as the mist lifted.
(=get rid of a misunderstanding)· I want to talk to you, to try and clear up any misunderstandings.
· She had no clear motive to lie.
(=prove that you have not done something bad or illegal)· She was determined to clear her name.
(=one that really exists)· There is a real need for after-school care in our area.
· A manager must give his team clear objectives to work towards.
· Peeling off the tape after the paint has dried leaves a clear outline to the shapes.
It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.· Clear patches of brilliant blue sky appeared briefly through the white storm clouds.
· He still didn’t have a clear picture of what had happened.
· There was no clear policy on this matter.
· There was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.
· His indecision is clear proof of his inability to handle the situation.
· The report offered no clear recommendations or policy guidelines.
(=with no traffic or nothing blocking it)· Before you overtake, make sure the road is clear.
· There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
· My body was giving me a clear signal that something was wrong.
(=smooth and without any red spots)· Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.
(=without clouds)· The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky.
(=the clouds disappear)· By dawn the sky had cleared.
(=disappears)· The kitchen door was still open, and inside the smoke was clearing.
· Jack cleared a space for his newspaper on the table.
British English (=step away from something in order to be safe) Stand clear of the doors, please.
Stand clear of the doors, please. (=giving an opinion clearly)· The article was a clear statement of his beliefs.
· It is important that the company has a clear strategy.
(=take plates etc off)· Do you want me to clear the table?
· Above 24,000 feet, the lack of oxygen makes clear thinking almost impossible.
· Before you begin, it is vital that you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
· This is a clear violation of privacy rights.
· She blinked to clear her vision.
· Natalia’s clear voice rang out.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· An ant coming under the influence leaps clear into the air.· Secondly, until you clear the air with this person, you will continue to feel uncomfortable.· But he thinks, in present circumstances, that a straight forward test provides the best way of clearing the air.· This proclamation was like the first peal of a surcharged thunder-cloud, clearing the murky air.· Offer to talk then and there to clear the air.· Allen, to clear the air, decided to host a debate for three thousand people at Bethel.· He even met with the Anti-Defamation League to try and clear the air of misunderstandings.
· The workers merely wish to clear a backlog of clients before the afternoon session begins.· He said the airline was now working to clear the backlog, with the delayed flights expected to depart within 24 hours.· Extra staff brought in to clear the backlog should be kept on until a thorough review is made.· The hospital is asking for more money to clear the backlog.· She continued to go to the shop and had managed to clear the backlog of work and correspondence.· Norwich agreed to take on an extra twelve staff and to clear the backlog of applications.· First, reports reaching me indicate that many of those LEAs that were not coping have now cleared their backlogs.
· Painter cleared of bar assault charge A SELF-employed painter and decorator was yesterday cleared of assaulting the manager of a Harrogate bar.· Eventually, he was cleared of the charge when she admitted to lying.· The jury cleared him of the charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and operating a vessel while intoxicated.· A Braintree man was cleared of an affray charge yesterday when the prosecution offered no further evidence against him.· The very anonymity of everybody else in their entourage was part of making clear who was in charge.· Veron was cleared of a charge that could have led to a two-year ban.· A Teesside Crown Court jury cleared him of both charges but convicted him of arson last month.
· A cheque completely clearing the debt has been sent to Donovan's lawyers.· His argument is that once we have cleared the debt we could buy a car with another loan.· Borrowers were told that policies might not only clear their mortgage debt but might also give them an additional lump sum.· As fast as it came in, it went out to clear his debt.· With a personal loan you have to stick to a fixed schedule of repayments to clear the debt within a fixed period.· If she won, her broker was to receive three times her normal fee, enough to clear her debt.· So they did the switch, cleared their debts, and now £6 a month better off.· Should you hang on to your cash or clear your debts?
· Hankin cleared the decks when in temporary charge and team-strengthening is essential.· I suppose it clears the deck of suspects.· Still, it was time to clear the decks, time to get things sorted.· And Lawrence wasted no time responding to that challenge and clearing the decks at Ayresome Park.
· If not, the cold would clear his head.· He wants a few days to clear his head.· She needed the hot draught of caffeine to clear her head.· Gao Yang recalled that the wall barely cleared his head at the time.· The chill in the air began to clear her head.· I cleared my head this morning and have changed my mind.· It had very little warmth but the chilly air was helping to clear my head.· Then he got into his white Olds and drove off to clear his head.
· David, Grant and Stuart are due to complete their studies towards the end of 1995 but have already cleared the first hurdle.· But first, the idea must clear several hurdles in early 1996.· To clear this last hurdle I was forced to queue up outside a shed with a number of soldiers.· I., has declined, insisting that the $ 5. 2 billion merger would never clear government antitrust hurdles.· The transaction also must clear certain regulatory hurdles.
· We need an election and a Labour Government to clear up the mess.· Regulators are busily clearing up the mess.· In alcoholism: Not clearing up physical messes caused by the primary sufferer.· This keeps him happy until it is time to go to the nursery by which time she has cleared up the mess.· Pondering these matters, she went through to the front room to clear up the mess.· It would have been like Donleavy to try to clear up the Asmar mess himself.· A J-C-B digger was brought in, but it still took more than three hours to clear up the mess.· Why hadn't Corbett cleared this mess up?
· Getting it clear in his mind.· His meeting with the Holtzes seemed to have refreshed Alvin and cleared his mind.· He leaned against the wall desperately trying to clear his mind but the memory proved elusive.· So, clear your mind, get out your No. 2 pencils and do your best: 1.· First, you should get it clear in your mind just what the private-eye who is the central figure is.· The coffee and the cool air cleared my mind.· DeVore nodded to himself, then cleared his mind of it, coming to the final matter.· Perhaps more than most literary encounters, it is essential to approach this novel with a cleared mind.
· Mr Donovan's motive had been to clear his name, not to close the magazine.· The Joint Committee investigating the scandal cleared my name.· For Kirsty's sake, she had to clear her name.· No defendant could completely clear his or her name.· After twenty years of gossip and innuendo was this going to be the one chance to clear his father's name?· The suspects say they are not guilty but want to clear their names.· When the public prosecutor appealed against that ruling, Pasko lodged a complaint in an attempt to clear his name.· Also this week: Samantha suggests to Siobhan that exhuming Josh's body could clear her name.
· Involuntarily she found herself going out on to the balcony for air, rather than clearing a space to sit.· They used to clear out space next to the M System store and people would come from all around.· Nanny Ogg had already cleared a space on the table for the green ball.· He eats most of his meals in the room, clearing a space on the desk, reading as he eats.· The first thing Louis did when he reached Aachen was to clear himself some political space.· When he returned she had cleared a space in the kitchen, had coffee ready.· Newsagents across the country had cleared extra floor space for the 60,000 additional copies of the paper.· Megaliths were smashed to make gate-posts or road-stone, blown up or pushed aside to clear space for the plough.
· The bloke with the paper hat comes round with this trolley thing to clear the tables.· She shook her head, cleared the table, dropping off stuff behind the counter, talking some to her father.· At that very moment, a waiter turned abruptly from clearing the next table and crashed into Loretta.· He was happy to clear the table but insisted on talking nonstop as he worked.· He turned to help her clear the table.· The preacher pushed his plate away and Lottie rose to clear the table.· Well, he seemed to have cheered up, thought Ruth, clearing the table.· Now she moved from booth to booth, clearing each table.
· He cleared his throat and turned away delicately to allow her to use the hanky.· They found she could clear her throat and cough in the machine, which had been difficult outside.· Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.· His mustache twitched; he cleared his throat, but said nothing.· Feeling a little embarrassed, he quickly cleared his throat and glanced up at the clock.· He recited a list of biblical names at high speed into the machine, expecting it to stumble and clear its throat.· Glover cleared his throat and looked off over the lake.
· The visit cleared the way for a summit meeting between the Communist Party leaders of the two countries.· Inmates were paid 50 cents a day for the back-breaking chore of clearing right of way through dense forests and laying track.· This is the scepticism that rules scepticism itself out of court and clears the way for legitimate faith.· The motorbikes clear a way but fans still jump into the road, running behind their favourites and pushing them.· Losses from restructuring will decline from now on, clearing the way for a recovery in earnings.
VERB· The chill in the air began to clear her head.· Then finally her head began to clear.· Then, ten minutes from Tipasa, the clouds are rinsed blue and the sky begins to clear.· But at least you will begin to clear up the pension problem.· Her head gradually began to clear.· When the girls left, Sethe began to clear the table.· He immediately withdrew the patrol to a safe distance and together they began to clear the area for any other suspicious signs.· The rain stops and the grey skies begin to clear.
· We help clear the innocent too.· Athena told him how things were in his house and promised she would help him clear it of the suitors.· Necessary jobs are helping to clear up the smaller branches and making a start on repointing the bridge itself.· Sometimes this means police officers help neighborhood members clear out vacant lots and rusting cars.· It helps keep your skin clear.· He turned to help her clear the table.· It had very little warmth but the chilly air was helping to clear my head.· It might help to clear Barney.
· New recruit, David Byrne, sliced in the ball as he tried to clear.· Loi promised to keep warm, and Joe started him on a course of antibiotics to try to clear the lung infection.· Connelly blinked myopically, trying to clear his gaze, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.· She lunges forward, trying to clear a way for herself.· Above all try and make it clear that you are enthusiastic about the future project.· He even met with the Anti-Defamation League to try and clear the air of misunderstandings.· She tried to clear her head, concentrating on this new situation.· He tried to clear the phantoms from his head and grasp reality.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► clear something ↔ out► clear something ↔ upPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the all clear► leave the field clear for somebody► when the smoke clears
- It is coupled with Gade's third symphony, a work combining originality with clear debt to Mendelsshon's symphonic style.
- I go for a long walk at lunchtime to clear my head.
- Gao Yang recalled that the wall barely cleared his head at the time.
- He leaned against the wall desperately trying to clear his mind but the memory proved elusive.
- He wants a few days to clear his head.
- His meeting with the Holtzes seemed to have refreshed Alvin and cleared his mind.
- If not, the cold would clear his head.
- She cleared her head of Rory, all that nonsense.
- She needed the hot draught of caffeine to clear her head.
- So, clear your mind, get out your No. 2 pencils and do your best: 1.
- Almond said he may ask President Clinton to declare Rhode Island a disaster area, clearing the way for federal funds.
- And now the White Paper clears the way for these to be used by cable stations.
- But there is no sign that the disgrace of the last Soviet satrap will clear the way for peace.
- Douglas Reyburn clearing the way for the future.
- Losses from restructuring will decline from now on, clearing the way for a recovery in earnings.
- That cleared the way for the public release of the scores and scheduling of interviews and a final selection.
- This would clear the way for the creation of a multiparty system in the Soviet Union.
- I think it's about time you called her to clear the air.
- In an attempt to clear the air, Mills has planned a meeting with employees to discuss the issue.
- The White House hopes that the investigation will clear the air.
- Allen, to clear the air, decided to host a debate for three thousand people at Bethel.
- But he thinks, in present circumstances, that a straight forward test provides the best way of clearing the air.
- He even met with the Anti-Defamation League to try and clear the air of misunderstandings.
- It would be good to clear the air, but she hoped it would hold off until after the party.
- Offer to talk then and there to clear the air.
- Secondly, until you clear the air with this person, you will continue to feel uncomfortable.
- The Minister is mumbling - I hope that he will get up and clear the air.
- To help clear the air, Mills is expected to meet with PacTel staffers in two weeks to discuss the issue.
- They were clear of Customs by 14.30 with twenty miles to go to Ramsgate.
- We're trying to clear the decks before Christmas.
- And Lawrence wasted no time responding to that challenge and clearing the decks at Ayresome Park.
- Hankin cleared the decks when in temporary charge and team-strengthening is essential.
- Still, it was time to clear the decks, time to get things sorted.
- Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.
- He cleared his throat and laid his finger along his nose.
- He coughed and cleared his throat again and looked up at the clerk.
- Hearst interjected, clearing his throat loudly.
- She cleared her throat, and looked at the Lakshmi again.
- She taps on the desk with an inverted pencil and clears her throat.
- Then Bette flounced up and cleared her throat nervously.
- Threlfall cleared his throat loudly before turning.
- It's abundantly clear why he's running for governor.
- But that act has more to do with the future than the present, as chapter 23 will make abundantly clear.
- But then if you look at politicians today, the answer becomes abundantly clear.
- He didn't believe her, as he made abundantly clear by looking contemptuously down his straight nose at her.
- If modern psychology has done one thing, it has surely made this fact abundantly clear.
- That was made abundantly clear at a colourful congress in the provincial capital, Jayapura, last month.
- This was abundantly clear in the textile district of the West Riding.
- To would-be revolutionaries it was becoming abundantly clear that their central problem was lack of contact with the masses.
- Ecumenically it is as important as anything.
- We raced out the door as soon as the coast was clear.
- Or do you wait till they tire of the taunting and go to release the victim when the coast is clear?
- It will blow the cobwebs away.
- Talk about blowing the cobwebs away!
- The play's message is loud and clear.
- And unlike the Democrats' proposals, its message rang home loud and clear with the likes of Jigeehuu and Gankhuag.
- But the message is loud and clear.
- Converse glanced at the bearded man and the thrill of recognition rang loud and clear.
- I did, loud and clear.
- I say, and I say it loud and clear.
- The voices of the cruel are loud and clear.
- Through the crack under the door I could smell Shelly loud and clear.
- Finally he could see his way clear to his goal.
- Small builders can not see their way to take on many trainees.
- There was just enough light for her to see her way to the bathroom.
- British politicians tend to steer clear of religious topics.
- George Deukejian urged the candidate to steer clear of the issue, which he considers divisive.
- Hongkong Bank steered clear of the mania to lend to third-world countries that peaked in the early 1980s.
- I think readers should be warned to steer clear of these fish in the future.
- Investors steered clear of big-name high techs in favor of shares like karaoke equipment trader Nikkodo.
- Most of the multinationals have steered clear of commitments so far.
- Others steered clear of temptation, like singer Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate.
- Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.
- She must steer clear of Matthew and then perhaps this ridiculous infatuation would wear off.
- Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.
- He cleared his throat and laid his finger along his nose.
- He coughed and cleared his throat again and looked up at the clerk.
- Hearst interjected, clearing his throat loudly.
- She cleared her throat, and looked at the Lakshmi again.
- She taps on the desk with an inverted pencil and clears her throat.
- Then Bette flounced up and cleared her throat nervously.
- Threlfall cleared his throat loudly before turning.
- Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.
- He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.
- He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.
- She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.
- Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.
- Was he paving the way for another referendum?
- When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way.
WORD FAMILYnounclarityclearanceclearingclarificationclearnessverbclearclarifyadverbclearclearlyadjectiveclear ≠ unclear
1surface/place [transitive] to make somewhere emptier or tidier by removing things from it: Snowplows have been out clearing the roads.clear something of something Large areas of land had been cleared of forest.clear something from something Workers began clearing wreckage from the tracks. Dad cleared a space (=moved things so there was room) in the garage for Jim’s tools. It’s Kelly’s turn to clear the table (=remove the dirty plates, forks etc).2remove people [transitive] to make people, cars etc leave a place: Within minutes, police had cleared the area.clear somebody/something from something Crowds of demonstrators were cleared from the streets.3crime/blame etc [transitive] to prove that someone is not guilty of something: Rawlings was cleared after new evidence was produced.clear somebody of (doing) something Maya was cleared of manslaughter. a long-running legal battle to clear his nameGRAMMAR Clear is often passive in this meaning.4permission [transitive] a)to give or get official permission for something to be done: He was cleared by doctors to resume skating in August.clear something with somebody Defence policies must often be cleared with NATO allies first. b)to give official permission for a person, ship, or aircraft to enter or leave a country: The plane took off as soon as it was cleared.5clear your throat to cough in order to be able to speak with a clear voice6weather [intransitive] (also clear up) if the weather, sky, mist etc clears, it becomes better and there is more sun: The haze usually clears by lunchtime.7liquid [intransitive] if a liquid clears, it becomes more transparent and you can see through it: Wait for the water to clear before adding any fish.8cheque [intransitive, transitive] if a cheque clears, or if a bank clears it, the bank allows the money to be paid into the account of the person whose name is on the cheque9go over/past [transitive] to go over a fence, wall etc without touching it, or to go past or through something and no longer be in it: The plane barely cleared the fence at the end of the runway. Edwards cleared 18 feet in the pole vault. The plane cleared Chinese airspace.10clear a debt/loan to get rid of a debt by paying what you owe11clear your head/mind to stop worrying or thinking about something, or get rid of the effects of drinking too much alcohol: A good walk might clear my head.12face/expression [intransitive] literary if your face or expression clears, you stop looking worried or angry: She looked embarrassed, but then her face cleared.13clear the way for something written to make it possible for a process to happen: This agreement will clear the way for further talks.14skin [intransitive] (also clear up) if your skin clears, red marks on it disappear: The rash has finally cleared.15clear the air to do something to end an argument or bad situation, for example discuss a problem calmly16clear (something through) customs to be allowed to take things through customs17clear the decks to do all the work that needs to be done before you can do other things: I’m trying to clear the decks before Christmas.18earn [transitive] informal to earn a particular amount of money after taxes have been paid on it: Diane clears £20,000 a year.clear something ↔ away phrasal verb to make a place look tidier by removing things or putting things back where they belong: When dinner was done and cleared away, Auntie Lou made some tea. Homeowners are clearing away brush near their houses to prevent fires.clear off phrasal verb British English informal to leave a place quickly: They cleared off when they saw the police coming.clear off! (=used to tell someone angrily to go away)clear out phrasal verb1 clear something ↔ out to make a place tidy by removing things from it and getting rid of them: I need to clear out my closet.2to leave a place or building quickly: Wait to get on the train until the people getting off have cleared out.clear out! British English (=used to tell someone angrily to go away) → clear-outclear up phrasal verb1to make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong: I don’t mind you using the kitchen as long as you clear up afterwards.clear something ↔ up Adam, clear up this mess before your father sees it.clear up after I get really tired of clearing up after you (=tidying places that you have made untidy).2clear something ↔ up to explain or solve something, or make it easier to understand: The White House hopes these problems can be cleared up soon. There are a couple of points we need to clear up before the meeting begins.3if the weather clears up, it gets better4if an illness or infection clears up, it disappearsclear1 adjectiveclear2 verbclear3 adverbclear4 noun
clearclear3 ●●○ adverb EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Firefighters pulled the woman clear of the wreckage.
- I could clearly see a row of cottages at the top of the hill
- Procedures for making insurance claims need to be more clearly defined.
- The contract says quite clearly that the landlord must pay for all repairs to the house.
Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand
· The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
to make something completely clear · I tried to make clear exactly what I meant.make it clear (that) · The teacher made it clear that she would not allow talking in class.make something clear · We want to make the rules clear from the beginning.make yourself clear (=make it clear what you mean) · Am I making myself clear?
formal to make something clearer, especially because people have not completely understood it: · I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.clarify your position (=make it clear what you think about something and what your intentions are): · The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
to explain something in the clearest possible way, especially when you think it should be unnecessary to make things so simple or to give so many details: · Do I have to spell out to you how important this is to me?· Andrews was asked to spell out exactly how pensions would be affected.· Campbell spelled out the reasons why staff reductions were necessary.
informal to state something clearly and strongly, especially something that other people may be unwilling to listen to or accept: · I'm going to lay it on the line. If you don't quit drinking, I'm going to leave you.
if you say something in no uncertain terms , you make your meaning very clear, especially when you are annoyed with someone about something: · The president of the university condemned racism on campus in no uncertain terms.· You've got to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you will no longer tolerate his abuse.
not clear · It is unclear how the man died.· The instructions aren't very clear.· The terms of our tenancy agreement are somewhat unclear.· The reasons for his resignation are still not clear.unclear/not clear about · His ideas are good, but he's very unclear about how he's going to achieve them.unclear/not clear whether/what/why etc · It's not clear why Parks didn't go straight to the police.· It is unclear whether the she will agree to the new arrangements.
having more than one possible meaning and therefore confusing and unclear: · The document's ambiguous wording makes it very difficult to follow.deliberately ambiguous (=intended to be difficult to understand): · The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.
words or statements that are imprecise are unclear because they do not describe or explain something in an exact way when this is necessary: · Many of the terms used in this book are imprecise.· She gave me directions to the hotel, but they were, shall we say, somewhat imprecise.
unclear, especially because not enough details are given: · There have been vague rumours of a coup.vague idea: · I only had a vague idea of where the place was.vague about: · He was rather vague about the reasons why he never finished school.
a confusing situation, story, explanation, etc is difficult to understand because there does not seem to be any clear pattern or order to it: · The kidnappers issued a series of confusing demands.· I found the book really confusing. I kept forgetting who the characters were.· Cricket can be a pretty confusing game for non-players.
if something that someone tells you is muddled or garbled , it is very unclear and confusing because they themselves have not really understood it very well: · I heard a garbled version of the story from one of my students.· Conroy made some muddled statement about how company policy has to be observed in these situations.· The old woman's directions were so garbled that I just rolled up the window and drove on.
unintelligible speech or writing is impossible to understand, for example because the words are not clear or it is written very badly: · Her note was practically unintelligible.· I liked the music but the lyrics were completely unintelligible.
when it is not clear what is happening or why something happens · It is not clear why the disease affects some people and not others.· The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
a situation that is confused is difficult to understand because a lot of things are happening at the same time and you do not have enough information about it: · Newspaper reports give a rather confused picture of the state of the economy.· US policy towards China has always seemed mixed and confused.· The situation in the city centre is getting increasingly confused, and riot police have been told to stand by.
to make something unclear to make a situation unclear by making it more complicated: · The instructions just confused me even more.· The Press Secretary gave a completely different version of events, which greatly confused the situation.confuse matters further (=make things more confused): · I think my explanation only confused matters further.
to make the difference between two ideas or subjects unclear: · The difference between male and female roles within the house has become blurred.· The show blurs the difference between education and entertainment.· His novels tend to blur the distinctions between reality and fantasy.
to make a subject or problem unclear by bringing in ideas, information, etc that are not really connected with it: · The Supreme Court's latest decision has only clouded the issue of gun control.· I'm talking about social problems. My opponent is just confusing the issue when he keeps referring to family values.
clear and easy to see · He had left clear footprints in the wet sand.· Even after two thousand years the writing is quite clear.· Most of the photos were very sharp and clear.
an object, line, or shape that is distinct is very clear so that you can easily see that it is separate from the things around it: · The sign's lettering was crisp and distinct.· As night fell, the outline of the mountain became less distinct.
photographs/images/pictures · High-definition television is amazing. The picture is so clear.· The images of Mars sent back by the Voyager satellite are amazingly clear.
very clear, especially because the edges of objects are very easy to see: · "Clear, sharp photos every time," the advertisement promised.· Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharp outlines - almost like children's comics.
photographs, films, or images that are in focus have been photographed or filmed from the correct distance or with the camera correctly set, so that everything in the pictures is clear: · Several of the photos weren't in focus.· Roy adjusted the TV set so that the picture was in sharper focus.
not easy to see clearly · I'll try and read this, but the handwriting's pretty unclear.· The photos were not very clear.
a picture, shape, image etc that is faint is unclear because it is a long way away, there is not enough light, or it was very lightly drawn: · There were a few faint pencil lines on the page.faint outline: · On the wall you could see the faint outline of where a picture had once hung.
unclear so that only the general shape can be seen, and not small details: · Without my glasses, anything more than a few feet away looks blurred.· All I have to remind me of Albert are a few letters and a blurred photo.
a photograph, television picture etc that is fuzzy is not clear, and it is difficult to see separate edges and objects, often because there is something wrong with your equipment or with the way the pictures were taken: · Police have only a fuzzy videotape of the bank robbery.· a fuzzy snapshot
a view that is hazy is not clear because there is a slight mist caused by heat, smoke etc: · The view to the west was hazy.hazy with: · The room was hazy with smoke.
to keep away from a person or place to keep away from a person, because you do not want to talk to them, or keep away from a place, because there are problems there: · I'm sure Sarah's been avoiding me recently.· Drivers are advised to avoid Elm Street today due to heavy traffic and long delays.avoid somebody/something like the plague informal (=try very hard to avoid them): · Except when they were filming, the two actors avoided each other like the plague.
to not go near a person or place, because they may be dangerous or may cause problems: stay away/keep away from: · That evening he received a note warning him to stay away from the camp.· Keep away from my children, or I'll call the police.stay/keep well away (=completely avoid): · She walked along the path, keeping well away from the edge of the cliff.
also give somebody/something a wide berth informal to make an effort to avoid a person or place, because there could be serious problems if you do not: · We were told to steer clear of the main roads where we might be recognized.· She advised me to steer clear of Matthew - she said he couldn't be trusted.· Passersby gave the old man on the sidewalk a fairly wide berth.
to travel around a place instead of through the centre of it, especially to avoid a traffic problem: · We had to make a long detour because of the floods.
to not talk about a particular subject · It's been three months, but he won't talk about the accident.· She doesn't talk about her husband half as much as she did when he first died.· I don't know what my parents think about my living here - we never talk about it.
to not talk about something, because it could be embarrassing or difficult, or just because you did not think about talking about it: · Didn't she say anything about the party?· Don't say anything about the divorce - it will only upset her.· The company's policy is not to say anything about former employees other than to give their period of employment.
to not talk about something, even for a short time or carelessly: · We were careful not to mention her son's legal problems.· He doesn't mention Cathy anymore when he writes - I wonder if they broke up?not mention (that): · I didn't mention that we were going to the movies in front of John.
to deliberately not talk about something, especially because the subject could be embarrassing or difficult: · I normally keep off the subject of ex-girlfriends on a first date.· Unless the interviewer asks you directly, keep off the question of why you left your last job.
to deliberately stop talking about a particular subject, especially because it is embarrassing, upsetting, or annoying someone: · "You'll never get me to believe that!" she screeched, so I just nodded and dropped the subject.· Can we just drop the subject? I'm sick of hearing about it.· Look, just drop it, OK? I understood you the first time.
to deliberately not talk about something, especially because the subject could be embarrassing or difficult: · We try to steer clear of controversial issues in the workshops.· Her press agent asked the interviewer to steer clear of questions about her love life.
to not talk about an event or situation from the past for a long time, especially because it is very difficult to talk about: · He had kept silent about the murder for ten years before he went to the police.· They said they'd kill her if she didn't keep quiet about what she'd seen.
if you gloss over unpleasant facts, you deliberately avoid talking about them or you only mention them quickly and without giving much detail: · It seems to me he was glossing over some major risks of the plan.· In a job interview you should highlight your strengths and gloss over your weaknesses.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear. We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. She had perfect diction. Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round. The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind. Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.
She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear.· I’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.
· I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.
We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. (=one of the banks in Britain that uses a clearing house when dealing with other banks)· large commercial customers of the clearing banks
I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. (=disappear)· At last the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.
(=without any spots)· Eating fresh fruit and vegetables will help keep your complexion clear.
Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. (=explain something more clearly)· The chairman said that he would try to clear up the confusion.
· There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
(=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong)· I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.
· Does he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?
(=one that people agree on and understand)· There was no clear consensus about the future direction of the company.
· There was a clear contrast between the father and the son.
· There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
(=says that they are not guilty)· A US court cleared him of bribery allegations.
(=repay all of them)· It took him three years to clear his bank debts.
(=a definite one)· It's now time to come to a clear decision on this.
· The head teacher gave us a precise definition of the school’s aims.
· He gave us a clear description of the situation in the city.
(=remove all the papers etc from it)· It's a good idea to clear your desk regularly.
She had perfect diction.· His directions were very clear and easy to follow.
· The legal system makes a clear distinction between adults and children.
· There is clear evidence that smoking causes heart disease.
(=cut down and remove the trees)· Huge areas of forest have been cleared since 1960.
(=make it very easy to guess something) He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway.
He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway. (=that you can see through rather than being coloured)· The drink comes in clear glass bottles.
Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses.· Your handwriting is much neater than mine.
(=deal successfully with a problem)
(=successfully jump over a hurdle)
· He had the clear impression that most people were in favour of the idea.
(=goes away)· Although the infection cleared up, he still felt weak.
· The instructions that I got with the phone weren’t very clear.
(=jump out of danger) We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.
We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.· The ruling Labour Party has a clear lead in the opinion polls.
(=a majority that has been won by more than half the votes)· There was no party with an absolute majority in the House of Commons.
The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind.· The vote gave the trade union a clear mandate to pursue a better settlement.
· I have a clear memory of the first time I met David.
Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! (=goes away)· The mountains suddenly appeared as the mist lifted.
(=get rid of a misunderstanding)· I want to talk to you, to try and clear up any misunderstandings.
· She had no clear motive to lie.
(=prove that you have not done something bad or illegal)· She was determined to clear her name.
(=one that really exists)· There is a real need for after-school care in our area.
· A manager must give his team clear objectives to work towards.
· Peeling off the tape after the paint has dried leaves a clear outline to the shapes.
It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.· Clear patches of brilliant blue sky appeared briefly through the white storm clouds.
· He still didn’t have a clear picture of what had happened.
· There was no clear policy on this matter.
· There was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.
· His indecision is clear proof of his inability to handle the situation.
· The report offered no clear recommendations or policy guidelines.
(=with no traffic or nothing blocking it)· Before you overtake, make sure the road is clear.
· There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
· My body was giving me a clear signal that something was wrong.
(=smooth and without any red spots)· Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.
(=without clouds)· The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky.
(=the clouds disappear)· By dawn the sky had cleared.
(=disappears)· The kitchen door was still open, and inside the smoke was clearing.
· Jack cleared a space for his newspaper on the table.
British English (=step away from something in order to be safe) Stand clear of the doors, please.
Stand clear of the doors, please. (=giving an opinion clearly)· The article was a clear statement of his beliefs.
· It is important that the company has a clear strategy.
(=take plates etc off)· Do you want me to clear the table?
· Above 24,000 feet, the lack of oxygen makes clear thinking almost impossible.
· Before you begin, it is vital that you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
· This is a clear violation of privacy rights.
· She blinked to clear her vision.
· Natalia’s clear voice rang out.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the all clear► leave the field clear for somebody► when the smoke clears
- Answer Steer clear of these subjects.
- Even if Ranieri had secured a change in the law, however, investors would have stayed clear of mortgage bonds.
- He had stayed clear of the subject of religion since Christmas.
- Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.
- The Profitboss steers clear of such indulgence, for in the end everyone pays dearly for the privilege of the few.
- The starters have learned to steer clear of her.
- Unless your home is totally dilapidated, steer clear of a complete redecoration prior to selling: it will arouse suspicion.
- It's abundantly clear why he's running for governor.
- But that act has more to do with the future than the present, as chapter 23 will make abundantly clear.
- But then if you look at politicians today, the answer becomes abundantly clear.
- He didn't believe her, as he made abundantly clear by looking contemptuously down his straight nose at her.
- If modern psychology has done one thing, it has surely made this fact abundantly clear.
- That was made abundantly clear at a colourful congress in the provincial capital, Jayapura, last month.
- This was abundantly clear in the textile district of the West Riding.
- To would-be revolutionaries it was becoming abundantly clear that their central problem was lack of contact with the masses.
- Ecumenically it is as important as anything.
- We raced out the door as soon as the coast was clear.
- Or do you wait till they tire of the taunting and go to release the victim when the coast is clear?
- It will blow the cobwebs away.
- Talk about blowing the cobwebs away!
- The play's message is loud and clear.
- And unlike the Democrats' proposals, its message rang home loud and clear with the likes of Jigeehuu and Gankhuag.
- But the message is loud and clear.
- Converse glanced at the bearded man and the thrill of recognition rang loud and clear.
- I did, loud and clear.
- I say, and I say it loud and clear.
- The voices of the cruel are loud and clear.
- Through the crack under the door I could smell Shelly loud and clear.
- Finally he could see his way clear to his goal.
- Small builders can not see their way to take on many trainees.
- There was just enough light for her to see her way to the bathroom.
- British politicians tend to steer clear of religious topics.
- George Deukejian urged the candidate to steer clear of the issue, which he considers divisive.
- Hongkong Bank steered clear of the mania to lend to third-world countries that peaked in the early 1980s.
- I think readers should be warned to steer clear of these fish in the future.
- Investors steered clear of big-name high techs in favor of shares like karaoke equipment trader Nikkodo.
- Most of the multinationals have steered clear of commitments so far.
- Others steered clear of temptation, like singer Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate.
- Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.
- She must steer clear of Matthew and then perhaps this ridiculous infatuation would wear off.
- Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.
- He cleared his throat and laid his finger along his nose.
- He coughed and cleared his throat again and looked up at the clerk.
- Hearst interjected, clearing his throat loudly.
- She cleared her throat, and looked at the Lakshmi again.
- She taps on the desk with an inverted pencil and clears her throat.
- Then Bette flounced up and cleared her throat nervously.
- Threlfall cleared his throat loudly before turning.
- Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.
- He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.
- He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.
- She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.
- Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.
- Was he paving the way for another referendum?
- When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way.
WORD FAMILYnounclarityclearanceclearingclarificationclearnessverbclearclarifyadverbclearclearlyadjectiveclear ≠ unclear
1away from something, or out of the way: Firefighters pulled her clear of the wreckage. Please stand clear of the doors.2keep/stay/steer clear (of somebody/something) to avoid someone or something because of possible danger or trouble: If you’re a beginner, steer clear of resorts with reputations for difficult skiing.3especially American English informal used to emphasize a long distance: You can see clear to the hills. → loud and clear at loud2(2)clear1 adjectiveclear2 verbclear3 adverbclear4 noun
clearclear4 noun Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand
· The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
to make something completely clear · I tried to make clear exactly what I meant.make it clear (that) · The teacher made it clear that she would not allow talking in class.make something clear · We want to make the rules clear from the beginning.make yourself clear (=make it clear what you mean) · Am I making myself clear?
formal to make something clearer, especially because people have not completely understood it: · I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.clarify your position (=make it clear what you think about something and what your intentions are): · The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
to explain something in the clearest possible way, especially when you think it should be unnecessary to make things so simple or to give so many details: · Do I have to spell out to you how important this is to me?· Andrews was asked to spell out exactly how pensions would be affected.· Campbell spelled out the reasons why staff reductions were necessary.
informal to state something clearly and strongly, especially something that other people may be unwilling to listen to or accept: · I'm going to lay it on the line. If you don't quit drinking, I'm going to leave you.
if you say something in no uncertain terms , you make your meaning very clear, especially when you are annoyed with someone about something: · The president of the university condemned racism on campus in no uncertain terms.· You've got to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you will no longer tolerate his abuse.
not clear · It is unclear how the man died.· The instructions aren't very clear.· The terms of our tenancy agreement are somewhat unclear.· The reasons for his resignation are still not clear.unclear/not clear about · His ideas are good, but he's very unclear about how he's going to achieve them.unclear/not clear whether/what/why etc · It's not clear why Parks didn't go straight to the police.· It is unclear whether the she will agree to the new arrangements.
having more than one possible meaning and therefore confusing and unclear: · The document's ambiguous wording makes it very difficult to follow.deliberately ambiguous (=intended to be difficult to understand): · The last part of her letter was deliberately ambiguous.
words or statements that are imprecise are unclear because they do not describe or explain something in an exact way when this is necessary: · Many of the terms used in this book are imprecise.· She gave me directions to the hotel, but they were, shall we say, somewhat imprecise.
unclear, especially because not enough details are given: · There have been vague rumours of a coup.vague idea: · I only had a vague idea of where the place was.vague about: · He was rather vague about the reasons why he never finished school.
a confusing situation, story, explanation, etc is difficult to understand because there does not seem to be any clear pattern or order to it: · The kidnappers issued a series of confusing demands.· I found the book really confusing. I kept forgetting who the characters were.· Cricket can be a pretty confusing game for non-players.
if something that someone tells you is muddled or garbled , it is very unclear and confusing because they themselves have not really understood it very well: · I heard a garbled version of the story from one of my students.· Conroy made some muddled statement about how company policy has to be observed in these situations.· The old woman's directions were so garbled that I just rolled up the window and drove on.
unintelligible speech or writing is impossible to understand, for example because the words are not clear or it is written very badly: · Her note was practically unintelligible.· I liked the music but the lyrics were completely unintelligible.
when it is not clear what is happening or why something happens · It is not clear why the disease affects some people and not others.· The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.
a situation that is confused is difficult to understand because a lot of things are happening at the same time and you do not have enough information about it: · Newspaper reports give a rather confused picture of the state of the economy.· US policy towards China has always seemed mixed and confused.· The situation in the city centre is getting increasingly confused, and riot police have been told to stand by.
to make something unclear to make a situation unclear by making it more complicated: · The instructions just confused me even more.· The Press Secretary gave a completely different version of events, which greatly confused the situation.confuse matters further (=make things more confused): · I think my explanation only confused matters further.
to make the difference between two ideas or subjects unclear: · The difference between male and female roles within the house has become blurred.· The show blurs the difference between education and entertainment.· His novels tend to blur the distinctions between reality and fantasy.
to make a subject or problem unclear by bringing in ideas, information, etc that are not really connected with it: · The Supreme Court's latest decision has only clouded the issue of gun control.· I'm talking about social problems. My opponent is just confusing the issue when he keeps referring to family values.
clear and easy to see · He had left clear footprints in the wet sand.· Even after two thousand years the writing is quite clear.· Most of the photos were very sharp and clear.
an object, line, or shape that is distinct is very clear so that you can easily see that it is separate from the things around it: · The sign's lettering was crisp and distinct.· As night fell, the outline of the mountain became less distinct.
photographs/images/pictures · High-definition television is amazing. The picture is so clear.· The images of Mars sent back by the Voyager satellite are amazingly clear.
very clear, especially because the edges of objects are very easy to see: · "Clear, sharp photos every time," the advertisement promised.· Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharp outlines - almost like children's comics.
photographs, films, or images that are in focus have been photographed or filmed from the correct distance or with the camera correctly set, so that everything in the pictures is clear: · Several of the photos weren't in focus.· Roy adjusted the TV set so that the picture was in sharper focus.
not easy to see clearly · I'll try and read this, but the handwriting's pretty unclear.· The photos were not very clear.
a picture, shape, image etc that is faint is unclear because it is a long way away, there is not enough light, or it was very lightly drawn: · There were a few faint pencil lines on the page.faint outline: · On the wall you could see the faint outline of where a picture had once hung.
unclear so that only the general shape can be seen, and not small details: · Without my glasses, anything more than a few feet away looks blurred.· All I have to remind me of Albert are a few letters and a blurred photo.
a photograph, television picture etc that is fuzzy is not clear, and it is difficult to see separate edges and objects, often because there is something wrong with your equipment or with the way the pictures were taken: · Police have only a fuzzy videotape of the bank robbery.· a fuzzy snapshot
a view that is hazy is not clear because there is a slight mist caused by heat, smoke etc: · The view to the west was hazy.hazy with: · The room was hazy with smoke.
innocent if someone is innocent of a crime, they did not do it - use this especially about someone that other people think is guilty: · "I didn't kill him - I'm innocent!" Davies shouted.· Bates allowed an innocent man to go to jail for his crime.innocent of: · Jett maintains that he is completely innocent of the charges against him.be presumed innocent (=legally treated as being innocent): · Under criminal law people are presumed innocent until proved guilty.
if someone is not guilty of a crime, they did not do it - use this especially when a court has officially decided that someone did not do a crime: · You don't have anything to be afraid of if you are not guilty.· The evidence will show that my client is absolutely not guilty, Your Honour.not guilty of: · She was convinced he wasn't guilty of the crime, no matter what anyone said.verdict of not guilty (=official judgement): · Within just a few minutes the jury of ranchers returned a verdict of not guilty.
not having done anything wrong, or not responsible for something bad that has happened: · None of us is completely blameless - we all knew something like this could happen.· The women had made every effort to lead blameless lives.· Last week a special prosecutor ruled that the three officials were blameless.
informal if you are in the clear , it cannot be officially proved that you have done something illegal or criminal: · If we all stick to the same story we'll be in the clear.stay/keep in the clear: · By keeping his name off all the documents, he'd managed to stay in the clear.put somebody in the clear: · The testimony of the two witnesses seemed to put Richardson in the clear.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear. We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. She had perfect diction. Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round. The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind. Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.
She’d made her feelings towards him abundantly clear.· I’ve tried to write a clear account of the incident.
· I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.
We’ve got the all clear for the new project. It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog. (=one of the banks in Britain that uses a clearing house when dealing with other banks)· large commercial customers of the clearing banks
I had a clear-out and got rid of a lot of old toys. (=disappear)· At last the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared.
(=without any spots)· Eating fresh fruit and vegetables will help keep your complexion clear.
Your summary should be as clear and concise as possible. (=explain something more clearly)· The chairman said that he would try to clear up the confusion.
· There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
(=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong)· I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.
· Does he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?
(=one that people agree on and understand)· There was no clear consensus about the future direction of the company.
· There was a clear contrast between the father and the son.
· There is a clear correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.
(=says that they are not guilty)· A US court cleared him of bribery allegations.
(=repay all of them)· It took him three years to clear his bank debts.
(=a definite one)· It's now time to come to a clear decision on this.
· The head teacher gave us a precise definition of the school’s aims.
· He gave us a clear description of the situation in the city.
(=remove all the papers etc from it)· It's a good idea to clear your desk regularly.
She had perfect diction.· His directions were very clear and easy to follow.
· The legal system makes a clear distinction between adults and children.
· There is clear evidence that smoking causes heart disease.
(=cut down and remove the trees)· Huge areas of forest have been cleared since 1960.
(=make it very easy to guess something) He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway.
He’d been smoking dope; his glazed eyes were a dead giveaway. (=that you can see through rather than being coloured)· The drink comes in clear glass bottles.
Today most planning authorities enforce fairly strict guidelines on new houses.· Your handwriting is much neater than mine.
(=deal successfully with a problem)
(=successfully jump over a hurdle)
· He had the clear impression that most people were in favour of the idea.
(=goes away)· Although the infection cleared up, he still felt weak.
· The instructions that I got with the phone weren’t very clear.
(=jump out of danger) We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall.
We managed to jump clear of the car before it hit the wall. Her horse cleared all the jumps in the first round.· The ruling Labour Party has a clear lead in the opinion polls.
(=a majority that has been won by more than half the votes)· There was no party with an absolute majority in the House of Commons.
The president has made it clear that he is not going to change his mind.· The vote gave the trade union a clear mandate to pursue a better settlement.
· I have a clear memory of the first time I met David.
Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately! (=goes away)· The mountains suddenly appeared as the mist lifted.
(=get rid of a misunderstanding)· I want to talk to you, to try and clear up any misunderstandings.
· She had no clear motive to lie.
(=prove that you have not done something bad or illegal)· She was determined to clear her name.
(=one that really exists)· There is a real need for after-school care in our area.
· A manager must give his team clear objectives to work towards.
· Peeling off the tape after the paint has dried leaves a clear outline to the shapes.
It was painfully obvious he’d rather not see her again.· Clear patches of brilliant blue sky appeared briefly through the white storm clouds.
· He still didn’t have a clear picture of what had happened.
· There was no clear policy on this matter.
· There was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.
· His indecision is clear proof of his inability to handle the situation.
· The report offered no clear recommendations or policy guidelines.
(=with no traffic or nothing blocking it)· Before you overtake, make sure the road is clear.
· There are clear signs of a slowdown in economic growth.
· My body was giving me a clear signal that something was wrong.
(=smooth and without any red spots)· Vitamin E helps keep your skin healthy.
(=without clouds)· The sun rose higher in the cloudless sky.
(=the clouds disappear)· By dawn the sky had cleared.
(=disappears)· The kitchen door was still open, and inside the smoke was clearing.
· Jack cleared a space for his newspaper on the table.
British English (=step away from something in order to be safe) Stand clear of the doors, please.
Stand clear of the doors, please. (=giving an opinion clearly)· The article was a clear statement of his beliefs.
· It is important that the company has a clear strategy.
(=take plates etc off)· Do you want me to clear the table?
· Above 24,000 feet, the lack of oxygen makes clear thinking almost impossible.
· Before you begin, it is vital that you have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
· This is a clear violation of privacy rights.
· She blinked to clear her vision.
· Natalia’s clear voice rang out.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· This becomes crystal clear when Tuesday's election results are read alongside results of February's special election.· Two points became crystal clear during the 1985-86 events.· The polls are crystal clear on this point: Most women vote Democratic.· The night air was crystal clear and chilly.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the all clear► leave the field clear for somebody► when the smoke clears
in the clear not guilty of something- By keeping his name off all the documents, he'd managed to stay in the clear.
- If we all stick to the same story we'll be in the clear.
- Martin's testimony showed that Buckley was in the clear.
- The debt is being paid off, but we're not in the clear yet.
- The testimony of the two witnesses seemed to put Richardson in the clear.
- A slender new crescent moon lay on its back high in the clear night sky.
- He claims the two are separate enough that he was in the clear to blow the whistle on the Rialto Theater project.
- Her weedy children would scamper up to practice karate in the clearing of his property.
- In the heat of every Saturday afternoon, she sat in the clearing while the people waited among the trees.
- It reassured him to know that he had somehow put himself in the clear.
- Now I need you to back up my story and put me in the clear.
- There is a widely held untruth that as long as you don't copy more than eight bars, you are in the clear.
- Trainer Frank Berry reckons he is now in the clear but he hasn't the form to recommend him.
- It's abundantly clear why he's running for governor.
- But that act has more to do with the future than the present, as chapter 23 will make abundantly clear.
- But then if you look at politicians today, the answer becomes abundantly clear.
- He didn't believe her, as he made abundantly clear by looking contemptuously down his straight nose at her.
- If modern psychology has done one thing, it has surely made this fact abundantly clear.
- That was made abundantly clear at a colourful congress in the provincial capital, Jayapura, last month.
- This was abundantly clear in the textile district of the West Riding.
- To would-be revolutionaries it was becoming abundantly clear that their central problem was lack of contact with the masses.
- Ecumenically it is as important as anything.
- We raced out the door as soon as the coast was clear.
- Or do you wait till they tire of the taunting and go to release the victim when the coast is clear?
- It will blow the cobwebs away.
- Talk about blowing the cobwebs away!
- The play's message is loud and clear.
- And unlike the Democrats' proposals, its message rang home loud and clear with the likes of Jigeehuu and Gankhuag.
- But the message is loud and clear.
- Converse glanced at the bearded man and the thrill of recognition rang loud and clear.
- I did, loud and clear.
- I say, and I say it loud and clear.
- The voices of the cruel are loud and clear.
- Through the crack under the door I could smell Shelly loud and clear.
- Finally he could see his way clear to his goal.
- Small builders can not see their way to take on many trainees.
- There was just enough light for her to see her way to the bathroom.
- British politicians tend to steer clear of religious topics.
- George Deukejian urged the candidate to steer clear of the issue, which he considers divisive.
- Hongkong Bank steered clear of the mania to lend to third-world countries that peaked in the early 1980s.
- I think readers should be warned to steer clear of these fish in the future.
- Investors steered clear of big-name high techs in favor of shares like karaoke equipment trader Nikkodo.
- Most of the multinationals have steered clear of commitments so far.
- Others steered clear of temptation, like singer Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate.
- Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.
- She must steer clear of Matthew and then perhaps this ridiculous infatuation would wear off.
- Fenn cleared his throat, wishing his head could be cleared as easily.
- He cleared his throat and laid his finger along his nose.
- He coughed and cleared his throat again and looked up at the clerk.
- Hearst interjected, clearing his throat loudly.
- She cleared her throat, and looked at the Lakshmi again.
- She taps on the desk with an inverted pencil and clears her throat.
- Then Bette flounced up and cleared her throat nervously.
- Threlfall cleared his throat loudly before turning.
- Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.
- He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.
- He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.
- She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.
- Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.
- Was he paving the way for another referendum?
- When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way.