clear out
Britishverb
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informal (intr) to go away: often used imperatively
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(tr) to remove and sort the contents of (a room, container, etc)
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slang (tr) to leave (someone) with no money
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slang (tr) to exhaust (stocks, goods, etc) completely
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(tr) to get rid of (employees, players, etc, that are no longer required)
noun
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Also, . Remove the contents, take something or someone away, as in I'll clear out this closet so you can use it , or Let me clear away these things , or Please clear off the table . The first phrase dates from the mid-1600s, the second from the mid-1700s, and the third from the early 1700s. Sometimes away and out are omitted, as in Let me clear these things , or Please clear the table . Also see clean up , def. 1.
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Depart suddenly or run away, as in We cleared out before our landlord could stop us . [Early 1800s]
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Drive or force out, as in The police cleared out the restaurant in no time . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
MaiaSpace said it has been working hard to hit this target -- and that getting the new equipment in place will take less time than clearing out the old machinery.
From Barron's
But reclaiming the space with a clear out can feel overwhelming - it's hard to let go of items which hold sentimental value.
From BBC
Twice the crew had to set the helicopter down again and clear out air filters.
From Literature
“Anyway! Suffice to say I’ll be happy to have you around more, and to start getting this place cleared out. Birdie’s high-tea expansion, coming right up!”
From Literature
Coal made note of it, knowing eventually he would have to figure out how to weave through their choreography, or find the best way to clear out of their path.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
