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Synonyms

clear up

British  

verb

  1. (tr) to explain or solve (a mystery, misunderstanding, etc)

  2. to put (a place or thing that is disordered) in order

  3. (intr) (of the weather) to become brighter

"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

noun

  1. the act or an instance of clearing up

"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
clear up Idioms  

  1. Clarify, explain, solve, as in Let's try to clear up this misunderstanding . [Late 1600s]

  2. Become clear, as in After the storm, it cleared up very quickly . [Early 1600s]

  3. Return something to a normal condition, cure, as in This new salve will clear up your rash .

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.

He predicted it would clear up this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Nicha Rowson, a beautician who has been forced to move her studio out of her home because of the stench, said the decision to clear up the site was "amazing news".

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

However, it’s common for an infection to clear up on its own and treatment is mostly geared toward soothing symptoms, according to the American Lung Assn.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Netflix agreed to allow Warner to discuss Paramount’s latest proposal during a seven-day negotiating period ending on Feb. 23, saying it would clear up the situation once and for all.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026

“We just want him to clear up a little matter,” the police explained.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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.