the coast is clear
11
3.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
todo despejado
- She checked the hallway and said, 'The coast is clear now; we can go.'
- make sure the coast is clear
- Okay, the coast is clear
- wait until the coast is clear
Unarmed scouts watched the target addresses to make sure that the coast was clear.
- Unarmed scouts watched the target addresses to make sure that the coast was clear.
Examples
-
See if the coast is clear.
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Satisfied the coast is clear, she quietly turns to the iron door, grasps the handle, and slowly turns it.
Fiction book (1997) -
All right, well, looks like the coast is clear.
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Okay, I think the coast is clear.
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Come on, the coast is clear.
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I'm sure that the coast is clear.
-
Barton peers out to see if the coast is clear.
Fiction book (1991) -
So, her male secretaries would have to scout out the bathroom first to ensure the coast was clear.
Blog text (12) -
Hawk scopes out the cafeteria to make sure the coast is clear.
Fiction book (1999) -
Kendra St. Clair says she stayed in the closet until she thought the coast was clear.
Blog text (6)
Synonyms
33
4.4
Not in danger, trouble, or under suspicion
26
3.2
A signal like a siren or announcement that tells people it is safe after an emergency
Antonyms
How Safe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'coast' (shore/area) and 'clear' (unobstructed) give a clue that nothing is blocking the area, so learners could infer a sense of safety or absence of obstacles. However, the specific idiomatic extension — 'no danger of being seen or caught; safe to proceed' — is a pragmatic, culture-specific usage not fully predictable from the parts, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The coast is clear comes from a simple sea image: when sailors looked at the coast and saw it clear of enemy ships or guards, they knew it was 'safe' to land or move. So, 'the coast is clear' now means it is 'safe' to go ahead because no one is watching and there is no danger.