all clear
Americannoun
noun
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a signal, usually a siren, indicating that some danger, such as an air raid, is over
-
an indication that obstacles are no longer present; permission to proceed
he received the all clear on the plan
Etymology
Origin of all clear
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
It’s not at all clear what that word means in 2026, in this context or any other.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The diagnosis comes two years after Laverne was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer, and she said in November 2024 that she had received the "all clear" following treatment.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
A drone carrying a camera checked the rope and gave him the all clear, which allowed him to return to the task with a calmer mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
It’s not at all clear Newsom would have much clout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
After an hour or two they had lost all clear sense of direction, though they knew well enough that they had long ceased to go northward at all.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
