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.
Sturgeon and the party's former treasurer Colin Beattie were both arrested and questioned in 2023 and remained under investigation until March 2025, when they were informed they were in the clear.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
‘Yellowstone’ actor Q’orianka Kilcher is in the clear in her workers’ comp fraud case.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
All other apps on your device will be transmitting in the clear.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 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
Any bad odor was noticeable here, where the sidewalks were swept hourly and lotus blossoms floated in the clear water below.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
