to clear away
25
1.8
- phrasal verb
- /klɪr əˈweɪ/
- To prepare the garden for planting, we need to clear away the dead plants and weeds.
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Watch on YouTubeSo you do this and then you clear away all the snow and it says let it snow.
- So you do this and then you clear away all the snow and it says let it snow.
- But also when you go to sleep, that second factor of sleep pressure, you are your brain gets the chance to clear away that adenosine.
- But what's also interesting is what happens when we sleep, and it's during sleep that the brain then gets the chance to actually clear away all of that adenosine.
- We need an political insurgency that puts people in power that are going to clear away the the establishment set and replace them.
Examples
-
Before starting the picnic, make sure to clear away all the trash from the area.
-
Morgiana comes into the kitchen where the servants are clearing away the plates.
Fiction book (2000) -
A woman came into the kitchen and began to clear away the breakfast.
Fiction book (1996) -
I'm just going to clear away some dishes.
-
You need to clear away the cobwebs.
-
The waitress cleared away my empty plates and set down the Black Forest cake.
Fiction book (1990) -
While my mother clears away the supper dishes, he and I take his prescribed daily walk.
Fiction book (1993) -
When they'd finished eating and the waitress had cleared away their plates, Jack leaned back in his chair.
Fiction book (1993) -
Winsom nodded and began to clear away the discarded dishes and linens.
Fiction book (1993) -
After dinner, we will clear away the plates and tidy the table.
Synonyms
∞
1.9
To remove something from a place or container
∞
1.5
To move something or someone away from a place
∞
1.6
To remove or throw away something you do not want
841
1.0
To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess
839
1.5
To remove people or things from a place
769
3.4
Remove or kill something completely so it is gone
362
2.0
To place something in its usual place for storage
210
1.0
To empty something completely
194
3.1
Remove all things from a place so it becomes empty
185
3.2
Empty a place or container by removing everything inside
146
3.2
To remove something unwanted from a place
129
2.7
Remove all covering or contents from an object so it is left bare
89
3.7
Remove something so it is no longer used
62
6.3
To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning
52
1.0
To remove dirt or mud from a surface
43
3.8
To get rid of something completely so it no longer exists
39
4.0
Remove an outside layer or covering from something to show what is under it
24
3.0
Remove things from a surface to make it empty or clean
10
2.2
To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom
9
2.5
To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush
3
5.0
To take out what is inside a container so it becomes empty
1
4.1
To remove things you do not need to make a place tidy and easier to use
Antonyms
How Tidy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'clear' (to remove) combined with 'away' (to another place) yields a directly compositional meaning: remove something so it is no longer there. This follows a common English verb + particle pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Clear away comes from the simple image of moving objects so the space becomes clear and the mess is pushed away. That's why it means 'to remove' something or to make a place 'tidy'.