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

"By improving the pumps, the brain can finally clear out the trapped waste. Over 56 days, the treatment reduced toxic amyloid-beta by 42 percent and improved spatial learning by nearly 44 percent."

From Science Daily • Jun. 16, 2026

He wasn’t the only one to clear out his direct holdings.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 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

It was only found after a water leak in Maynard's loft meant he had to clear out stacks of old boxes.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

He wanted them to clear out so he could go one-on- one with me.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• clean out
• dispose of
• get rid of