clear off
B1 informal separable both
In simple words
To go away (rude!); or to take all the stuff off a surface.
Literal meaning: To clean or push things off a surface, creating a clear space.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
informal
To leave or go away, used as a rude or angry command to tell someone to leave.
"The shopkeeper told the teenagers to clear off or he'd call the police."
Grammar: inseparable
2 A2 neutral
To remove everything from a surface, leaving it empty and clear.
"She cleared off her desk before leaving the office for the last time."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
As a command ('Clear off!'), this is rude and dismissive — used when someone is very annoyed. More common in British English. The literal sense of clearing a surface is neutral and common. Do not use the dismissal sense in polite conversation.
Commonly used with
table desk surface property premises land
Forms
Base
clear off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
clears off
he/she/it
Past simple
cleared off
yesterday
Past participle
cleared off
have + pp
-ing form
clearing off
continuous
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