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

Twice the crew had to set the helicopter down again and clear out air filters.

From Literature

“Anyway! Suffice to say I’ll be happy to have you around more, and to start getting this place cleared out. Birdie’s high-tea expansion, coming right up!”

From Literature

Coal made note of it, knowing eventually he would have to figure out how to weave through their choreography, or find the best way to clear out of their path.

From Literature

I gasped, and Aunt Kitty shot me such a look of contempt that even I knew it was time to grab Flora and clear out.

From Literature

By the following Monday, the property was cleared out.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clean out
• dispose of
• get rid of