How to Use clear-cut in a Sentence

clear-cut

adjective
  • But the case might not be all that clear-cut.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The design credentials are less clear-cut.
    — New Atlas, 17 Jan. 2026
  • But for people living with a rare disease, the issue isn't so clear-cut.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
  • The line between the frontlines and the homefront in terms of injuries is no longer clear-cut.
    — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 2 Mar. 2026
  • However, that distinction isn’t so clear-cut.
    — A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2026
  • As clear-cut as the rules may seem, there have been different interpretations.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Lone star and other tick species eventually receded as forests were clear-cut.
    — Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Here, there is only one certainty — the evil of the Empire — but beyond that, things aren’t as clear-cut.
    — Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2026
  • The question of its constitutionality is not clear-cut.
    — Arkansas Online, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But while our attitudes towards things like single-use plastics may be clear-cut, confusion around the concept of voluntourism lingers.
    — Shivani Ashoka, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2022
  • And in cybersecurity, where the role of hackers and the defenders are clear-cut, red teaming has a substantial track record.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024
  • While people on both sides have sought to portray these cases as clear-cut, the reality is that use-of-force determinations are rarely simple.
    — Diane Goldstein, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a more clear-cut diplomatic win for the president.
    — Abc News, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Clinicians and researchers find that mental health is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teens’ well-being aren’t clear-cut or universal.
    — Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Clinicians and researchers find that mental health is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teens' well-being aren't clear-cut or universal.
    — CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • In other cases, the reasons for transferring may not be as clear-cut—for instance, a student simply didn’t mesh with the social scene on campus or doesn’t like the sleepy town their college is located in.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
  • But writer-director BenDavid Grabinski managed to defy the odds by securing major studio backing for his genre mash-up, an increasingly rare feat in an era where studio marketing departments prefer films that are more clear-cut.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clear-cut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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