clear-cut
/ˌklɪə ˈkʌt/ (bre, ipa) · [klˈɪrkˌʌt] /ˌklɪr ˈkʌt/ (ame, ipa) · [klˈɪrkˌʌt] /ˈklir-ˈkət How to pronounce clear-cut (audio)/ (ame, mw)
clear-cut — adjective
1. so plain and certain that no extra proof or explanation seems necessary.
so plain and certain that no extra proof or explanation seems necessary.
The judge gave a clear-cut answer after hearing both witnesses.
a clear-cut answer after evidence is heard
Elena saw the budget problem as a clear-cut case of overspending.
a clear-cut case of something
With the map and street signs, the route looked clear-cut to Kenji.
The video showed clear-cut evidence that the wallet never left the desk.
- obvious
more everyday and less focused on a sharp boundary or final certainty
- definite
stresses certainty, especially in decisions or plans
- unambiguous
more formal and often used for wording or evidence with only one reading
文法句型
a clear-cut + noun
be clear-cut
用法筆記
Often modifies words such as answer, case, evidence, result, and victory. It points to certainty or a sharp dividing line, not to a person's honest speaking style.
常見錯誤
clear-cut — noun
1. an area of woodland left bare after every tree there has been cut down.
an area of woodland left bare after every tree there has been cut down.
From the hill, Bao could see a fresh clear-cut beside the river.
a fresh clear-cut beside a landmark
Birdsong vanished after machines opened a wide clear-cut behind the village.
Researchers counted new weeds spreading across the clear-cut by spring.
The trail skirted a muddy clear-cut where stumps still smoked.
- logged area
broader and not always total tree removal
- stump field
informal and focused on the stumps left behind
- woodland
an area still covered with trees
- standing forest
forest that remains uncut
文法句型
a clear-cut
in/near a clear-cut
用法筆記
Mostly appears in forestry, environmental reporting, and local news about logging. It names the treeless patch itself, not the act of removing the trees.
常見錯誤
clear-cut — verb
- clear-cutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- clear-cuts3rd person singular
- clear-cutting-ing form
- clear-cuttedpast simple
1. to remove every tree from a forested area in a single logging operation.
to remove every tree from a forested area in a single logging operation.
The company plans to clear-cut the hillside before building the mine.
clear-cut + hillside/area
Villagers begged officials not to clear-cut the pine forest near school.
Loggers clear-cut the valley, leaving only tracks and broken branches.
New rules ban farmers from clear-cutting land beside the mountain stream.
文法句型
clear-cut + forest/valley/hillside
clear-cutting + land
用法筆記
The object is normally a wooded area such as a forest, slope, or valley, not a single tree. The verb often appears in discussions of logging policy, mining, and conservation.