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
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Welcome to the postelection vote-count slog in California, where tight races are often impossible to call even when the initial results seem clear-cut.
—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
The debate over exterior lighting is not clear-cut; factors such as energy use, security concerns, placement, and even local wildlife come into play.
—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
What looks clear-cut on the surface, however, can be challenging in practice, even with the best of intentions.
—
Harry Kraemer,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
In a few short decades every forest in Pennsylvania—and nearly the entirety of eastern North America—would be clear-cut and transformed into a wasteland of stumps.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Welcome to the postelection vote-count slog in California, where tight races are often impossible to call even when the initial results seem clear-cut.
—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
The debate over exterior lighting is not clear-cut; factors such as energy use, security concerns, placement, and even local wildlife come into play.
—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
What looks clear-cut on the surface, however, can be challenging in practice, even with the best of intentions.
—
Harry Kraemer,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
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 5 Jul. 2026.
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