clear up
clear up — phrasal verb
- clear upbase form
- clears up3rd person singular
- clearing up-ing form
- cleared uppast simple
1. When the sky or weather clears up, the clouds or rain go away and the sun starts
When the sky or weather clears up, the clouds or rain go away and the sun starts to shine.
The sky was dark this morning, but it cleared up by lunchtime.
intransitive — no object required
After the storm passed, the weather finally cleared up.
We decided to wait at the cafe until the rain cleared up.
The forecast says the clouds will clear up by the afternoon.
As the fog cleared up, we could finally see the mountain.
- brighten up
more informal and used only for weather
- lift
used for fog or mist specifically
- cloud over
the opposite action, when the sky becomes cloudy
文法句型
clear up (no object)
用法筆記
Subject is usually 'weather', 'sky', 'clouds', 'fog', 'mist', or 'rain'. This sense is always intransitive — there is no object after 'up'.
常見錯誤
2. If a medical problem such as an infection, rash, or cough clears up, it graduall
If a medical problem such as an infection, rash, or cough clears up, it gradually goes away and you become healthy again.
The rash on Meera's arm cleared up after she used the cream.
The doctor said the infection should clear up within a week.
clear up with medical conditions: infection, rash, cough
Yasmin's cough cleared up once she stopped smoking.
See a doctor if the spots on your back do not clear up.
This cream will help your skin condition clear up more quickly.
- worsen
when a condition gets more serious instead of better
文法句型
clear up (no object)
用法筆記
Common subjects include 'rash', 'infection', 'cough', 'acne', 'spots', 'skin condition'. This sense is intransitive — you cannot say 'clear up a rash' with this meaning; that would require the transitive tidy/resolve senses.
常見錯誤
3. to make a room, table, or area clean and neat by putting things back where they
to make a room, table, or area clean and neat by putting things back where they belong and removing dirt or mess.
Chiara spent the whole morning clearing up the kitchen after the party.
The children helped clear the toys up before dinner.
separable — 'clear the toys up' or 'clear up the toys'
Andres asked his roommate to clear up the mess in the living room.
We need to clear this room up before the guests arrive.
After the picnic, Jude cleared up the trash and folded the blanket.
- tidy up
interchangeable in this sense, common in British English
- straighten up
less thorough — more about making things look neat than deep cleaning
- mess up
to make a place dirty or untidy
文法句型
clear up + object
clear + object + up
clear something up
用法筆記
The object can go between 'clear' and 'up' (clear the kitchen up) or after 'up' (clear up the kitchen). Pronoun objects must go between: 'clear it up', NOT 'clear up it'. Common objects: room, table, desk, mess, toys, dishes.
常見錯誤
4. to find an answer to a problem, a mystery, or a misunderstanding so that people
to find an answer to a problem, a mystery, or a misunderstanding so that people understand everything and feel certain about it.
The manager called a meeting to clear up the confusion about the new schedule.
clear up + confusion / misunderstanding / mystery / problem
Can you clear up a question for me? I do not understand this form.
Sivan and Daniel had a long talk to clear up their disagreement.
The police are still trying to clear up the details of the accident.
A short email from the teacher cleared up the misunderstanding about the homework.
- confuse
to make a situation or issue harder to understand
- complicate
to add difficulty to a problem
文法句型
clear up + object
clear + object + up
clear something up
用法筆記
Common objects: confusion, misunderstanding, mystery, problem, question, doubt, issue, detail. This is a metaphorical extension of the 'tidy' sense — 'clearing up' a mental mess. Pronoun objects go between: 'clear it up'.