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Synonyms

clean slate

Cultural  

  1. A new start; especially to make a new start by clearing the record. This phrase comes from the use of chalk and slates in classrooms in the past. By wiping the slate clean, a student could remove any evidence of a mistake.

clean slate Idioms  

  1. A fresh start; another chance after wiping out old offenses or debts. This idiom often appears as wipe the slate clean. For example, Henry's boss assured him that the matter was finished and he could start with a clean slate, or He wished he could wipe the slate clean, but it was too late to salvage the relationship. This expression alludes to the slate boards on which school work or tavern bills were recorded in easily wiped-off chalk. Since 1850 or so the term has been used figuratively, and it has long outlived the practice of writing on slate.

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.

The new owners will get a clean slate to try and turn the fortunes of the club around.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

Skipper Stokes said they were starting with a clean slate, despite their miserable record in Australia.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

But that actually gave me a completely clean slate when I became a musician.”

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2025

In engaging with Trump directly for the first time, Lurie benefited from a relatively clean slate and a host of interlocutors with influence in the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

Primogeniture is also the clean slate of the oldest making the past out of nothing but faint whispers, presences, and tones.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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.