in the clear
Idioms-
Free from danger or suspicion of wrongdoing, as in The evidence showed that the suspect was actually in the clear . [1920s]
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Having enough money to make a profit, as in When they added up the box-office returns, they found they were several thousand dollars in the clear . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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.
All other apps on your device will be transmitting in the clear.
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026
Mark said in the majority of cases children who had the same symptoms as Isla are probably in the clear because they are young and Isla was in the small minority.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Still, the analysts said search makes up most of Google’s business, and the company isn’t quite in the clear from mounting competition with AI-powered search engines, regardless of what management shares during its earnings report.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025
The deal might not put the industry completely in the clear.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
The water came to his neck and his small waxed mustache and derby hat were in the clear.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
