1
: sharply outlined : distinct
2
: free from ambiguity or uncertainty : unambiguous
a clear-cut decision
: an area of forest in which all the trees have been cut down
But the logging has been concentrated in the high-volume old-growth forest, and clear-cuts are spread over almost every one of the region's watersheds.—
Catherine Caufield
Catherine Caufield
also
: clear-cutting
clear-cut; clear-cutting
: to cut down all the trees in (an area of forest)
He says there has been a massive deforestation as the Chinese have clear-cut millions of acres of Tibetan Forests to sell lumber on the export market …—Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman… native rain forest experts who harvest plants for traditional healers, make from two to 10 times per hectare the income of a farmer who clear-cuts the forest for planting crops.—Cathy Sears and Robert Neuwirth
Cathy Sears and Robert NeuwirthSynonyms
Adjective
Examples of clear-cut in a Sentence
Adjective
a clear-cut case of plagiarism that resulted in her immediate dismissal
clear-cut instructions that even an idiot should be able to follow
Recent Examples on the Web
Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
The reasons why women save less for retirement aren’t clear-cut.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024
Even more impressive, since Adams was traded to the Jets, Wilson has become the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver for the franchise.
—Jesse Reed, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
What's unsettling is that consumers tend to have more potential clear-cut protections involving some fraudulent ATM withdrawals than other situations, such as when a scam involves a wire transfer of money out of your account.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clear-cut 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
But like many environmental issues in Arizona, this one isn't clear-cut.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
The reasons why women save less for retirement aren’t clear-cut.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024
Even more impressive, since Adams was traded to the Jets, Wilson has become the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver for the franchise.
—Jesse Reed, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
What's unsettling is that consumers tend to have more potential clear-cut protections involving some fraudulent ATM withdrawals than other situations, such as when a scam involves a wire transfer of money out of your account.
—Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clear-cut
Dictionary Entries Near clear-cut
Cite this Entry
“Clear-cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear-cut. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share