clear up
phrasal verb·5 senses·particle up
Meanings
Tidy a place by putting things away
Why “up”? Filling to the top. Reaching the upper limit means finishing.
“I'll clear up after the meal.”
“She cleared up the kitchen before bed.”
“Could you clear up these toys?”
(of weather)become bright and dry after rain or cloud
Why “up”? A person, thing, signal, idea, or truth becomes present, visible, active, or known.
“It rained all morning but cleared up by lunch.”
“The sky cleared up before the picnic.”
“The fog finally cleared up at noon.”
Resolve a misunderstanding or doubt by explaining it
“Let me clear up any confusion.”
“Her answer cleared up my confusion.”
“His email cleared up the misunderstanding.”
(of an illness, rash or symptom)disappear or get better
“The infection cleared up after the antibiotics.”
“His cough cleared up after a week.”
“The rash should clear up on its own.”
Solve a mystery or unsolved problem
“Detectives finally cleared up the case.”
“The new clue cleared up the mystery.”
“We can't go home until this is cleared up.”
Don't confuse with
Clear up means tidy a place by putting things away. Clear out means tidy by removing things you don't need.
Test yourself
“I'll clear up after the meal.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
clear out
A contrast learners often mix up
Tidy by removing things you don't need
add up
Same up pattern: finishing
Combine into a larger total; Make sense or seem true
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
break up
Same up pattern: finishing
Break into pieces; End a relationship or gathering
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
call up
Same up pattern: appearance
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
catch up
Same up pattern: appearance
Reach the same level or position as someone ahead; Get up to date with news, work or events you have missed; (of bad behaviour or neglect) start to have unavoidable consequences; Spend time talking to a friend after a period apart
clean up
Same up pattern: finishing
Tidy thoroughly
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