clear up

What does "clear up" mean?

1. To explain or resolve a misunderstanding
2. For weather to become better
3. For an illness or skin condition to improve

Examples

• Let me clear up this confusion.
• The sky is starting to clear up.
• The rash should clear up in a few days.
• We need to clear up a few matters before proceeding.
• Once the antibiotics kicked in, the infection cleared up.

How to use it

Very common for both physical improvement (weather, illness) and abstract resolution (problems, confusion).

Word order

Object can go between: 'clear things up' or 'clear up the mystery'

Similar expressions

Opposites

Related phrasal verbs

• clear out

  To remove things from a place

• clear off

  To leave a place

• get up

  To rise from bed after sleeping

• turn up

  To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something

• give up

  To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult

• bring up

  To mention or introduce a topic in conversation