clear up
Britishverb
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(tr) to explain or solve (a mystery, misunderstanding, etc)
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to put (a place or thing that is disordered) in order
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(intr) (of the weather) to become brighter
noun
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Clarify, explain, solve, as in Let's try to clear up this misunderstanding . [Late 1600s]
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Become clear, as in After the storm, it cleared up very quickly . [Early 1600s]
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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.
People have successfully done this to correct billing mistakes and clear up errors, Kelmar said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I would like to clear up the rumblings of my son having involvement in the Ladera Ranch fire,” her statement began.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The tidying expert from BBC One's Sort Your Life Out once helped an ex-boyfriend clear up and organise his mother's home after she died.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Workers were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide along the pool’s perimeter, which did clear up the water along the perimeter.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2026
In a strange way he was looking forward to it—relieved that things were going to clear up between them, however things turned out.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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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.