Idioms

clear of

clear of (something)

1. adjective Away from or avoiding (something). Keep clear of Mr. Jamison, he's very irritable today. If you boys are going to play outside, please stay clear of the street. What did I just hit? I thought my car was clear of the curb!
2. verb To exonerate oneself or another of a criminal charge or allegation of wrongdoing. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "clear" and "of." Vince hired a high-powered attorney to try to clear himself of the crime. Once we get the security footage back, I'm confident we'll be able to clear you of these bogus charges. Once people think you've done something wrong, good luck trying to clear yourself of that misdeed.
See also: clear, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*clear of something

without touching something; away from something. (*Typically: keep ~; move ~; remain ~; stand ~.) Please stand clear of the doors while the train is moving. Make sure the dog moves clear of the driveway before backing the car up.
See also: clear, of

clear someone of something

to show that a person is innocent; to exonerate someone of a crime. (See also clear someone's name.) An investigation cleared me of any wrongdoing. They were unable to clear themselves of the charges.
See also: clear, of
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See also:
References in classic literature
In another moment he would be clear of the underbrush and ready for the rapid charge and the quick retreat that would end the brief existence of Teeka's balu.
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But directly she is clear of the narrow seas, heading out into the world with nothing solid to speak of between her and the South Pole, the anchors are got in and the cables disappear from the deck.
There he sees the cable ranged, the windlass disconnected, the compressors opened; and there, after giving his own last order, "Stand clear of the cable!" he waits attentive, in a silent ship that forges slowly ahead towards her picked-out berth, for the sharp shout from aft, "Let go!" Instantly bending over, he sees the trusty iron fall with a heavy plunge under his eyes, which watch and note whether it has gone clear.
For the anchor "to go clear" means to go clear of its own chain.
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His teeth seemed perpetually to ache with desire, and in lieu of black legs he husked the cocoanuts that fell from the trees in the compound, kept the enclosure clear of intruding hens, and made a hostile acquaintance with every boss-boy who came to report.
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The most common scenario of a non-successful project is when the team commissioning the study is not clear of the impact that some of their tradeoffs about the study will have on the final result."
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