clear away
clear away — idiom
1. to take things that are not in their correct spot and return them to storage or
to take things that are not in their correct spot and return them to storage or their proper place, so that a room, table, or other area becomes tidy again
Kim asked the children to clear away the dinner plates and put them in the kitchen sink.
separable: clear away + object / clear + object + away
After the guests left, Aisha cleared the cups and plates away from the living room.
clear + object + away + from + location
Before the inspection, David and Mei cleared away all the loose papers from every desk in the office.
Mum asked us to clear our toys away before Grandma arrived for afternoon tea.
- mess up
to make a place untidy
文法句型
clear away + object
clear + object + away
用法筆記
Commonly used after meals, parties, or craft activities. The object can go either before or after 'away': 'clear away the books' or 'clear the books away' — both are correct.
常見錯誤
clear away — phrasal verb
- clear awaybase form
- clears away3rd person singular
- clearing away-ing form
- cleared awaypast simple
1. to take away something that is blocking a space, creating a mess, or is no longe
to take away something that is blocking a space, creating a mess, or is no longer wanted, so that the area becomes clear and usable again
A road crew cleared away the fallen branches blocking the village road after the storm.
past tense: cleared away + object (obstacle removal)
The old furniture was cleared away to make room for the new office equipment.
passive: be cleared away
The council sent trucks to clear away the abandoned vehicles from the roadside.
Omar cleared away the empty bottles and food wrappers after the birthday party.
- remove
more formal; less common in everyday conversation
- get rid of
more informal; emphasises discarding rather than just relocating
- take away
neutral register; focuses on taking the object to another place
文法句型
clear away + object
clear + object + away
be cleared away
用法筆記
Unlike the 'tidy up' sense, this meaning focuses on getting things out of the way — the removed items may be thrown away, stored elsewhere, or taken to a different location entirely.
常見錯誤
❌ 'Please clear away the broken glass' (correct for the action). — This sense works for dangerous objects like broken glass, but only when the action is physically removing them from the area.