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clean-cut

clean-cut

1 4.0
With sharp edges and clear lines
  • adjective
  • /ˈklinˌkʌt/
translation icon : nítido
  • And so we don't really have a clear clean cut answer.

And so I think that as a world, we like a very black and white clean cut, you know, good, bad.

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Examples

  • Putting them all together is what gives you the sharp-edged, clean-cut look that a lot of men lack in their day-to-day lives.

    Blog text (17)
  • He always maintained a clean-cut appearance, which made him look professional at work.

  • And so I think that as a world, we like a very black and white clean cut, you know, good, bad.

  • It was a clean-cut case of self-defense.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Now it's not clean cut, but there's still temples aren't as as crazy and ruthless as they bought back in the day.

  • Unconvinced, they told him they would have preferred a nicer, more clean-cut version of the "poor child," perhaps one that looked like the Little Flower of Jesus at the Cathedral.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The suspect's alibi was a clean-cut version of events that left no room for doubt.

  • The design of the new smartphone features a clean-cut style that is both modern and elegant.

Synonyms

plain
vsclean-cut
264 1.0

Easy to see or understand

is more about neat defined appearance than simple obviousness
sharp
vsclean-cut
55 1.3

Easily seen or heard with clear detail

stresses crisp appearance that makes items easy to distinguish
clean
vsclean-cut
45 3.6

Done with skill and no mistakes

focuses instead on visible neatness rather than execution quality
crystal clear
vsclean-cut
  • Informal
43 2.5

Very easy to understand or hear

is similar but the emphasis is on distinct appearance rather than intensity
clear
vsclean-cut
40 1.0

Pure and distinct in sound or colour

is about distinct appearance in shape or edge rather than purity
clear-cut
vsclean-cut
27 4.2

Easy to see and understand

is about visual or appearance clarity rather than general decision certainty
crisp
vsclean-cut
12 3.5

Clear and sharply defined, easy to see or hear

leans more to general clear appearance than lively sharpness
razor-sharp
vsclean-cut
3 4.2

Very clear and exact so you can see every small detail

is milder meaning clearly defined but not extreme precision
cut-and-dry
vsclean-cut
1 4.1

Clear and simple, not likely to change

emphasizes unchanging certainty rather than visual or shape clarity
chiseled
vsclean-cut
  • US
1 4.8

Having clear, sharp features like a carved statue

focuses on face or form shaping rather than general visual clarity
defined
vsclean-cut
3.2

Easy to see because it has clear edges and shape

focuses more on overall neat appearance than just edges
5.0

Very clear and exact so there is no doubt

expresses clear appearance more directly but less figurative

Antonyms

230 4.6

Not clear or detailed so you are unsure what is meant

2 3.4

Not clear to see or understand, like a photo

How Clear

sharp
55 1.3
clean-cut
1 4.0
fuzzy
111 3.7
blurry
70 3.6

Surface Forms

clean-cut positive

Morphology

clean-cut = clean + cut (transparent) = clean + cut

The sense 'sharply defined, clear' is a direct extension of 'clean' + 'cut' (neatly/precisely cut), so it is inferable from the components.

Etymology

Clean-cut joins clean ('clear') and cut ('a sharp edge'), giving the picture of something 'neatly cut out' with a clear shape, like a shadow or the lines of a sculpture. So, clean-cut means sharply defined and easy to see.