clearing out 1 of 2

noun

as in withdrawal

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clearing out

2 of 2

verb

present participle of clear out
1
as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart police used tear gas to clear out the demonstrators

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in escaping
to get free from a dangerous or confining situation everyone cleared out as soon as the fire alarm began sounding

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3
as in departing
to leave a place often for another the lunch crowd usually clears out by 2:00 p.m. at the latest

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clearing out
Verb
The Royals made swift changes by reassigning hitting coach Alec Zumwalt and clearing out their entire training staff. — Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026 The turmoil from Moore’s Michigan conduct continues to linger, 10 months later, but the process of clearing out his office in Schembechler Hall went remarkably swift. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026 The nor'easter that has been bringing bands of rain and heavy winds to New York, New Jersey and the Tri-State Area is finally clearing out. — Justin Lewis, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 On the subway system, workers had rolled out some flood mitigation tools at Coney Island and Howard Beach stations, and had begun pre-storm work of covering up system vents and clearing out drainage systems. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 Deciding when to downsize is highly personal and contingent on your unique circumstances, and there is no right time to start clearing out your stuff and looking to the future. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026 Government troops patrolled the streets, ambulances rushed to the victims, and residents ventured out assessing damage and clearing out bloodied clothes from the pavement. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 While Vonnegut toiled in a malt syrup factory, several other prisoners were assigned to labor details clearing out the rubble left behind from the bombings. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026 Smoke from wildfires may lower air quality during the day, clearing out overnight as the storm system moves in. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clearing out
  1. withdrawal
  2. dispersing
  3. escaping
  4. departing
  5. retirement
  6. fleeing
  7. exiting
  8. egress
Noun
  • Hong ultimately lost the primary election to Crowley by less than a percentage point following Barnes’s withdrawal from the race at the eleventh hour.
    — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Agriculture accounts for around 72% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
    — Adhum Carter Wolde-Lule, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdrawal
Verb
  • In contrast, peregrine falcons that breed in Alaska migrate almost directly south, dispersing across the Americas to wintering grounds that extend as far as southern South America.
    — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Israeli troops later arrived in Abu Falah and drove up to the village after dispersing the crowd in the olive groves.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispersing
Verb
  • And announcing a move is not the same thing as escaping the tax.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The court found that the directive to fast to death was implemented by targeting children first, while guards were deployed to prevent them from escaping, beating those who attempted to escape or eat.
    — Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of escaping
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said Friday afternoon that all four Moscow airports -- Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky -- stopped flights arriving and departing for security reasons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Paramount+ head of originals Jane Wiseman is departing the streamer as the post-merger combination of it and HBO Max takes shape.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of departing
Noun
  • Existing bank account takeover A criminal gains access to your existing checking account, savings account, retirement account or payment app.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Current owner Mark Attanasio bought the Brewers from the Selig family in January 2005, and Bud Selig remained as commissioner until his retirement in January 2015 at age 80.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of retirement
Verb
  • Instead of stopping to help Batani-Khalfani, police alleged that Cardenas continued driving, fleeing the scene of the hit-and-run crash.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Hollywood jobs have been fleeing for years for cheaper filming locales, and the restaurant industry has been shaken by mounting closures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fleeing
Verb
  • To be sure, the exiting attorneys were motivated to depart by a range of reasons.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Travelers headed to the Napa Valley or Sonoma County coast can make a fairly easy diversion by exiting Interstate 80 about 6 miles north of Highway 37.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of exiting
Noun
  • If a factory doesn’t have a fire suppression system yet, but at least there is safe egress, then workers can get out safely in the immediate moment.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Public cloud rewards bursty, variable demand, but for always-on workloads, pay-as-you-go premium and data egress fees compound fast.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of egress

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clearing off
clearing out
clearings
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Cite this Entry

“Clearing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clearing%20out. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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