cleared up

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitiveBritish

   If an illness, rash, or infection cleared up, it became better or disappeared.

   Grammar: No object; the subject is the illness or problem that got better.

   Patterns

   • something cleared up
   • cleared up on its own

   The rash cleared up after a few days.

   My cold finally cleared up once the weather got warmer.

   The doctor said the infection should have cleared up by now.

2. 2verbintransitive

   If a problem, mystery, or confusion cleared up, it was solved or explained.

   Grammar: No object; the subject is the problem or confusion that got resolved.

   Patterns

   • something cleared up
   • the matter cleared up

   The misunderstanding cleared up after we talked.

   Once the email was found, the whole confusion cleared up.

   The mystery of the missing keys cleared up when I checked my coat pocket.

3. 3verbintransitive

   If the weather cleared up, it became brighter and dry after rain or clouds.

   Grammar: No object; often used with 'it' as the subject.

   Patterns

   • it cleared up
   • the sky cleared up

   It rained all morning, but it cleared up by lunchtime.

   Let's wait until the weather clears up before we go out.

   The sky cleared up and we could see the stars.

4. 4verbintransitive

   If you cleared up, you tidied a place or put things away.

   Grammar: No object; the person is the subject and does the tidying.

   Patterns

   • cleared up after someone
   • cleared up before leaving

   We cleared up after the party.

   Please clear up before you go home.

   She cleared up the kitchen while I dried the dishes.

Common combinations

clear up a mystery

The detective cleared up the mystery of the stolen painting.

clear up confusion

A short phone call cleared up all the confusion.

clear up after someone

I'm tired of clearing up after the children.

the weather clears up

Let's hope the weather clears up before the picnic.

Synonyms and how they differ

resolve

More formal and often transitive: you resolve a problem, but a problem clears up on its own.

tidy

Focuses on making a place neat; 'clear up' can also mean an illness or weather improving.

heal

Used for wounds or injuries becoming healthy again; 'clear up' is more common for rashes or infections.

Word family

clear adjective

Easy to understand or see through.

clearance noun

The act of removing things or getting official permission.

clearing noun

An open space in a forest.

Commonly confused: cleared up or clean up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cleared up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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