ENGLISH
REFERENCE

clear out

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to remove things you do not need from a place to make it tidy.

phr. v.. to empty a space or container by removing its contents, typically to organize it or dispose of unwanted items.


SIMPLE

I need to clear out my closet this weekend.

CONTEXTUAL

After living in the same house for twenty years, they spent weeks clearing out the attic before moving.

COMPLEX

The new manager decided to clear out the old files to make room for the digital archiving system.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
clear + (object) + out
Usage

often used with rooms, cupboards, or drawers as the object.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'clean up' (which focuses on dirt/mess) and 'tidy up' (which focuses on order); 'clear out' specifically implies removal of items to create empty space.

Pitfall

I cleared out it.I cleared it out.when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

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