clear out

British  

verb

1. informal (intr) to go away: often used imperatively

2. (tr) to remove and sort the contents of (a room, container, etc)

3. slang (tr) to leave (someone) with no money

4. slang (tr) to exhaust (stocks, goods, etc) completely

5. (tr) to get rid of (employees, players, etc, that are no longer required)

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noun

1. the act or an instance of clearing out

clear out Idioms  

1. Also, . Remove the contents, take something or someone away, as in I'll clear out this closet so you can use it , or Let me clear away these things , or Please clear off the table . The first phrase dates from the mid-1600s, the second from the mid-1700s, and the third from the early 1700s. Sometimes away and out are omitted, as in Let me clear these things , or Please clear the table . Also see clean up , def. 1.

2. Depart suddenly or run away, as in We cleared out before our landlord could stop us . [Early 1800s]

3. Drive or force out, as in The police cleared out the restaurant in no time . [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clear out

Boreal forests are also supposed to burn on an infrequent basis, in order to open up certain pine cones and spread their seeds, or to clear out lower tree branches.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

Antonelli's problems left Leclerc clear out front and Verstappen and Russell, with a tyre advantage, closing on Hamilton in a battle for the podium positions.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

It completed a project in 2024 to clear out the asbestos, mold and mice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Without frequent fire to clear out the understory of a forest, California woodlands have grown five to six times denser.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Meanwhile, the existing diners —mostly teens with a sprinkle of middle-aged folks and their kiddos—are rushing to clean up and clear out to make room.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• clean out
• dispose of
• get rid of