1
as in pardon
a setting free from a charge of wrongdoing
the clearing of his good name became his obsession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in opening
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way
the early settlers worked hard to clear the land for crops
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridding
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers
cleared the woods of brush
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in paying
to give what is owed for
finally cleared the last debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in emptying
to remove the contents of
cleared a drawer so there would be a place to store his clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in filtering
to remove usually visible impurities from
cleared the car windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in freeing
to set free from entanglement or difficulty
cleared himself of any involvement in the matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in smoothing
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions
plows promptly cleared the roads of snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in acquitting
to free from a charge of wrongdoing
she had once been accused of embezzlement, but an investigation by the bank cleared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in approving
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
the administration cleared the plan, and building should begin shortly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in removing
to take away from a place or position
cleared the dishes from the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in informing
to give information to
please clear my mind about the new arrangement regarding reimbursement for traveling expenses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in earning
to receive after charges and deductions have been made
cleared enough from that stock transaction to be able to afford a new luxury automobile
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clearing
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
The clearing of the city’s iconic nightlife street started around 2 a.m. local time this morning and was completed around 8 a.m., the mayor said.
—NBC News, 3 Jan. 2025
Over the past year, my colleagues Ruth Talbot, Asia Fields, Maya Miller and I have investigated how cities have sometimes ignored their own policies and court orders, which has resulted in them taking homeless people’s belongings during encampment clearings.
—Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 27 Dec. 2024
This beautiful park is almost entirely covered in trees, but there’s a clearing called Brockton Oval that could accommodate a rink and some bleachers, assuming (again) the NHL could navigate that Canadian red tape that stymied the Lake Louise idea.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clearing 
Noun
See any clearing of AI capacity debate ( & clarity on Azure re-accel) as likely to unlock more significant 2H upside.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025
The clearing of the city’s iconic nightlife street started around 2 a.m. local time this morning and was completed around 8 a.m., the mayor said.
—NBC News, 3 Jan. 2025
Over the past year, my colleagues Ruth Talbot, Asia Fields, Maya Miller and I have investigated how cities have sometimes ignored their own policies and court orders, which has resulted in them taking homeless people’s belongings during encampment clearings.
—Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 27 Dec. 2024
This beautiful park is almost entirely covered in trees, but there’s a clearing called Brockton Oval that could accommodate a rink and some bleachers, assuming (again) the NHL could navigate that Canadian red tape that stymied the Lake Louise idea.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clearing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clearing
Noun
-
Some states require a pardon or expungement to allow a person with a criminal record to run for office.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
10 Jan. 2025
-
President Jimmy Carter granted a presidential pardon to Yarrow in 1981, on the last day of his presidency.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Experts in the field were immediately blown away by the results.—
Janko Roettgers,
The Verge,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Nonetheless, despite the offensive quality on the field, there is a good chance that Monday’s game will be decided by whichever team has the better defense.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The nostalgic cruise, like all Princess Cruises, uses the company’s state of the art Medallion Class technology to make identification, service, and opening one’s cabin a simple and transparent process.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Joe Choate, a former banker and experienced weekend sailor, smashed headfirst into a handrail, opening a bloody gash down his forehead.—
David Wolman,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The price Xi’s China is paying is deflation.—
William Pesek,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Medicaid continued to process payments during that time, but Blue Cross Blue Shield stopped paying after a few months.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Bathrooms Start by emptying your bathroom cabinets and drawers out completely, then wipe them down inside and out.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
29 Dec. 2024
-
The company website includes a safety page with advice on how to minimize risk of injury while at the park, including following all park rules, emptying pockets beforehand and only sliding down one person at a time.—
Claudia Levens,
Journal Sentinel,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
On the cleaning front, waiter robots will assist staff in their daily tasks freeing them up to focus on more complex tasks.—
Kevin Rozario,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
These systems include modules that automatically navigate drones through jamming-intensive environments, freeing pilots to focus on targeting.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, senior leadership setting expectations for collaboration when reviewing and approving goals is key.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
His pro-business bent stood out from the court’s history of approving high-dollar payouts for plaintiffs.—
Eleanor Klibanoff,
Austin American-Statesman,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The acids in toner can also act as chemical exfoliants, removing any extra dead skin cells or other debris that might build up.—
Amanda Svachula,
Health,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Start by removing the old hardware using a screwdriver, saving the screws if needed, and clean the surface to remove any residue.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg,
Architectural Digest,
27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near clearing
Cite this Entry
“Clearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clearing. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share