clear sign
10
1.3
- noun
- The dark clouds gathering overhead were a clear sign that a storm was approaching.
- showed clear signs
- one clear sign
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Watch on YouTubeAnd if you have to do it, that's a clear sign something is wrong.
- And if you have to do it, that's a clear sign something is wrong.
- And so that's a clear sign that women are looking for answers.
- So it had to be something that was a clear sign.
- It's all of it that's doing bad and all that is, is a clear sign that something's happening in the market.
- But I think the clear signs are we can first end up reducing just the rate of inflation.
- And that is a clear sign that there's an issue because with all the other advancement, that should be clear that we should be able to outlive the previous generations.
Examples
-
In the last few days, there had been clear signs that Gates was getting restless.
Fiction book (1995) -
Look at this, it's a clear sign of a struggle.
-
One clear sign is if the students consistently do not finish the book.
Academic text (2014) -
The flood of new immigrants entering the job market is one clear sign that opportunity still exists.
Academic text (1991) -
In detective Bodine's report, it states "There are clear signs of physical abuse."
-
This was a clear sign of Sparta's trust in the loyalty and skills of these Arcadian soldiers.
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The door was braced with heavy crossbeams, a clear sign of earthquake damage.
Fiction book (1991) -
As a consequence, the 1926 amendments marked the first clear sign that federal bankruptcy law had achieved permanence.
Academic text (2017) -
The sudden drop in sales was a clear sign that the product needed improvement.
-
His absence from the meeting was a clear sign of his disinterest in the project.
Synonyms
∞
3.2
An event that shows something is happening or will happen
382
3.9
A sign that shows something is true or likely
14
5.5
A clear sign that something bad will happen
Antonyms
How Explicit
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an obvious or unmistakable indication' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'clear' (easy to understand/not ambiguous) with 'sign' (an indication). This simple adjective + noun compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Clear sign comes from the image of a real sign with clear letters that anyone can see and read. That's why we use it today to mean 'an obvious or unmistakable indication'.