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 Newsom would have much clout.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
But it isn’t at all clear whether they would endorse one in a national vote, he added.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Paphos airport in western Cyprus was also evacuated but later got the all clear and was operating as normal, an airport official said.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
The second delay came after Ms Loughman received a message from police saying the trial was "all clear" to go ahead, only for the case to be withdrawn again eight hours later with no explanation.
From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025
He was gazing out over the water, perhaps at some seagulls in the far distance, and so it was not at all clear that he had been talking to me.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
