Synonyms

clarify

American

[klar-uh-fahy] / ˈklær əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to make (an idea, statement, etc.) clear or intelligible; to free from ambiguity.

Synonyms:

resolve, elucidate, illuminate, explain
to remove solid matter from (a liquid); to make into a clear or pellucid liquid.
to free (the mind, intelligence, etc.) from confusion; revive.

The short nap clarified his thoughts.

verb (used without object)

to become clear, pure, or intelligible.

The political situation clarified.

clarify British

/ ˈklærɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to make or become clear or easy to understand
to make or become free of impurities
to make (fat, butter, etc) clear by heating, etc, or (of fat, etc) to become clear as a result of such a process

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of clarify

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French clarifier, from Late Latin clārificāre, equivalent to Latin clār(us) “clear” + -ificāre -ify

Explanation

Clarify means to clear up confusion and make it all understandable. In a heart-breaking text, she clarified that she never ever wanted to see him again. It also means to remove impurities in a liquid; you clarify butter by gently heating it. Clarify and clear are related, of course, and clear means you can see right through it. If you clarify your intention or your meaning, others will understand it clearly. If you aren't clear at the outset, you might find the need to clarify what you want later.

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Vocabulary lists containing clarify

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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.

See Examples For:

clarify clarifies clarified clarifying

But that may prove difficult, as pressure grows on the league to clarify exactly who is eligible to play.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

She said information disseminated by local organizations and churches has helped to clarify things.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

She has stressed that Etsy needs to clarify its long-term vision to understand where the business is headed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The researchers expect that additional fieldwork in North Africa and the Middle East will uncover more fossils that clarify how modern apes originated and began to diversify.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Nuah’s modified his message on Mr. Ram’s Facebook page: Sorry, Mr. Ram’s family wants me to clarify that the gathering for friends is on Saturday at the community center, three p.m.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

The proposed regulations unveiled this week “really clarifies a lot of what employers were waiting for,” said Dorian Smith, leader of Mercer’s law and policy practice.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

It’s not that the clothes were ever disappointing, she clarifies — it’s just that the anticipation was such a big part of the process.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

The bill, which clarifies the regulatory structure around digital assets, is making slow progress through Congress.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

“Her courage today doesn’t change our path; it clarifies it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

And then when I look at him blankly, he clarifies.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Cornell University has clarified that its dorm kitchens are for cooking food — not butchering bears.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

He clarified that he had run 600 miles in 12 days with rest days in between.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Arday clarified to the Guardian newspaper the that £5 million fundraising for charity was done by a group of people over two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Approximately 1,000 prisoners will now not be released early following the revision to the scheme, he clarified.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

“The extra cheese croissants were for me,” Oliver clarified.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

I would enshrine gender equality in the Constitution, explicitly clarifying that the Equal Rights Amendment is part of our founding document.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

This lone holdout is clarifying: If one index gatekeeper could keep its standards, the others didn’t have to lower theirs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

There, Thomas told Roa he was “up the hill behind LA,” clarifying he was was Piñon Hills, to which Roa responded that he was in Yucaipa.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

The clarifying photos would go on to generate something even more exciting for the photographer, Eadweard Muybridge.

From Slate ● May 25, 2026

She interrupts me a lot, sometimes asking me to repeat something I said, and sometimes it’s with another question aimed at clarifying how and why certain things happened.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023