Clears

How to spell clears

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce clears

What does clears mean?

1. verbRemoves an obstruction, doubt, or contents; becomes free, transparent, or unobstructed.

Clears in a sentence

• The morning fog usually clears by midday over the harbour.

• The new software clears the cache every time you log out.

Where does clears come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the third person singular form of the verb 'clear', which traces back to the Latin adjective clarus, meaning 'bright', 'shining', or 'clear'. English took it through Old French cler (modern French clair) during the 1200s, at first describing light, brightness, and a cloudless sky, and later extending to anything free of obstruction, doubt, or guilt. The verb sense, 'to make or become clear', grew naturally out of the adjective: a sky clears of cloud, a desk clears of clutter, a person clears their name. The same clarus root still shines through in relatives like 'clarity', 'declare', and 'clarion'. The spelling keeps the 'ear' cluster that English often pronounces as a long 'eer' sound, which is the main thing a writer has to remember here.

How the word is built

• clear (from Latin clarus: bright, clear)
• -s (third person singular verb ending)