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
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
The team is now showing resolve against the West’s clear-cut No. 1, limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch and winning the clutch minutes with unshakable cool (Russell Westbrook is a celebratory yeller, fine, but these guys are a chill bunch overall).
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 May 2025
But without clear-cut guidance, most feel like wading through a thousand haystacks.
—Phillimon Zongo, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Since spring ended, the Canes did not add an elite starting safety, a veteran defensive tackle or a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver (Syracuse slot player Trebor Pena, who was arguably the best receiver in the portal, visited Miami but opted for Penn State).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
The team is now showing resolve against the West’s clear-cut No. 1, limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch and winning the clutch minutes with unshakable cool (Russell Westbrook is a celebratory yeller, fine, but these guys are a chill bunch overall).
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 13 May 2025
But without clear-cut guidance, most feel like wading through a thousand haystacks.
—Phillimon Zongo, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Since spring ended, the Canes did not add an elite starting safety, a veteran defensive tackle or a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver (Syracuse slot player Trebor Pena, who was arguably the best receiver in the portal, visited Miami but opted for Penn State).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 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 19 May. 2025.
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