# clear cut

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/clear-cut
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Straightforward, obvious, simple, or basic.

## Examples

- The rules for this game are clear cut.
- The instructions were not clear cut, so we had to ask the manager for help.
- While the legal arguments were complex, the judge insisted that the moral obligations of the contract were entirely clear cut.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.