all clear
Americannoun
noun
-
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.
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
About 16,000 of roughly 50,000 evacuees are still waiting for the all clear.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 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
In 2024, she was honoured with a damehood for services to British art, and also revealed she had just been given the four-year "all clear" from cancer.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
“For the all clear? Safer, are you still—upstairs? At Mr. X’s?”
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
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.
