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 NeuwirthExamples 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
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
The 6-foot Bueckers was the overwhelming choice in a draft in which there is no clear-cut No. 2 pick.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
Yet the Supreme Court’s decision was not clear-cut.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The exterior light debate is not clear-cut; factors like energy usage, security concerns, placement, and even local wildlife come into play.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
More significantly, the vengeful felon-in-chief has sent a clear-cut message: Oppose his heedless, plainly unconstitutional actions in court — one of the only avenues left to fight Trump’s creeping authoritarianism — and there will be a dear price to pay.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
The 6-foot Bueckers was the overwhelming choice in a draft in which there is no clear-cut No. 2 pick.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2025
Yet the Supreme Court’s decision was not clear-cut.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The exterior light debate is not clear-cut; factors like energy usage, security concerns, placement, and even local wildlife come into play.
—Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
Cite this Entry
“Clear-cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clear-cut. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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