clear one's name

1. Also, clear oneself. Prove someone (or oneself) innocent. For example, She not only wanted to be acquitted, she wanted to clear her name entirely. This locution employs the verb clear in the sense of “purify” or “wash away a stain.” [Late 1400s]

Example Sentences

“That is an incredible burden,” she added pointing to the financial and emotional resources necessary to go through the appeals process to clear one’s name.

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Their performance can be thrown off by elevation, by the time of day, by an errant sip of too-hot tea, by an unlucky lineup that doesn’t play to their personal strengths, or, in this case, by the added pressure of hoping to clear one’s name of any whiff of scandal.

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