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
Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
Unlike screening mammography of women over 50 — which clearly reduces their risk of dying from breast cancer — and studies that demonstrate the benefits of screening for colon, cervical and lung cancer in specific populations, the value of prostate cancer screening is less clear-cut.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Yes, homeownership often represents much more stable living expenses than renting – but in an age of rising insurance costs and property taxes, that tradeoff isn’t so clear-cut any more.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 18 May 2025
Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clear-cut
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Adjective
Like most things in nature, however, herd immunity isn’t quite that clear-cut, said Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
Unlike screening mammography of women over 50 — which clearly reduces their risk of dying from breast cancer — and studies that demonstrate the benefits of screening for colon, cervical and lung cancer in specific populations, the value of prostate cancer screening is less clear-cut.
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Yes, homeownership often represents much more stable living expenses than renting – but in an age of rising insurance costs and property taxes, that tradeoff isn’t so clear-cut any more.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 18 May 2025
Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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