clear

clear the air defuse or clarify an angry, tense, or confused situation by frank discussion.

☞ This expression comes from the idea that a thunderstorm makes the air less humid.

clear as a bell: seebell.

clear blue water an obvious and decisive gap between you and your rivals. British

☞ The expression originated in the 1990s as a political slogan characterizing the ideological gap between the British Conservative party (whose traditional colour is blue) and its political opponents, which right-of-centre Conservatives wished to be as wide as possible.

as clear as day very easy to see or understand.

clear your desk leave your job, especially having been dismissed.

clear as mud not at all easy to understand. informal

clear away the cobwebs: see blow away the cobwebs atcobweb.

clear the decks prepare for a particular event or goal by dealing beforehand with anything that might hinder progress.

☞ In the literal sense, clear the decks meant to remove obstacles or unwanted items from the decks of a ship before a battle at sea.

the coast is clear: seecoast.

crystal clear: seecrystal.

in clear not in code.

1966Robert SheckleyMindswap Thus, he crosscircuited his fear of embarrassment, and spoke to his oldest friend in clear.

in the clear

1 no longer in danger or suspected of something.

2 with nothing to hinder someone in achieving something.

out of a clear (blue) sky as a complete surprise.

1992New Yorker The latest revelations… about the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales may have induced disbelief, but they did not come out of a clear blue sky.

see your way clear to do (or doing) something find that it is possible or convenient to do something.

steer clear of: seesteer.