MEANING
1. To discuss a problem openly so that resentment, misunderstanding, or tension can ease.
2. To make the air feel fresher or less oppressive, often after hot, humid weather.
Use it for
resolving tension through honest discussion; bringing an unspoken problem into the open; addressing resentment between people; removing a misunderstanding in a relationshipDistinguishes speaking openly about a problem from merely pretending that tension has disappeared. Writing functions: Resolving unspoken tension. Semantic categories (by meaning): Communication; Reconciliation; Social tension. Contexts: General conversation; Creative prose.
On the page
Before work resumed, the two directors met privately to clear the air.
I called my sister to clear the air after our awkward exchange.
The evening storm cleared the air, and we opened every window.
A brief shower cleared the air after two days of sticky heat.
Word forms
- Base
- clear the air
Usage notes
Inflect clear: clears the air; cleared the air; clearing the air. Often clear the air with someone or between people. Register: neutral. Commonness: common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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