clear-cut
clear-cut — adjective
1. Very easy to understand or recognize, with no doubt or confusion — for example,
Very easy to understand or recognize, with no doubt or confusion — for example, a clear-cut answer, a clear-cut winner, or a clear-cut case of cheating.
Police found clear-cut evidence that someone had broken in through the back door.
collocation: clear-cut evidence
Andrew thought the decision was clear-cut, but his co-workers were not so sure.
clear-cut followed after verb to be
Elena Vargas knew her decision was clear-cut after comparing the job offers side by side.
Chiara gave a clear-cut explanation of the company's new tax policy during the meeting.
There is no clear-cut way to solve the budget problem quickly.
- unambiguous
more formal; used in technical or legal writing
- definite
slightly broader; can refer to fixed arrangements, not just clarity
- straightforward
focuses on being easy to do or understand, not just clearly seen
用法筆記
Very common in negative or cautious contexts ('not a clear-cut issue', 'no clear-cut answer') to express that something is complicated.
常見錯誤
clear-cut — noun
1. A piece of land in a forest where every tree has been cut down, leaving only stu
A piece of land in a forest where every tree has been cut down, leaving only stumps and open ground.
Bao walked across the large clear-cut where pine trees had stood only a month before.
Environmental groups are protesting the new clear-cut near the national park boundary.
collocation: new clear-cut
The logging company left a fifty-acre clear-cut behind the mountain ridge.
Yuki photographed the clear-cut from a helicopter to show how much forest had been lost.
Wildflowers and ferns quickly took over the abandoned clear-cut after two rainy seasons.
- clearcut area
same meaning; sometimes written as two words or one word
- logging site
broader — may still have some trees left; not necessarily fully cleared
用法筆記
Used mainly in discussions of forestry, logging, and land conservation. A clear-cut is different from a forest fire burn area because the trees were deliberately removed by people.
常見錯誤
clear-cut — verb
- clear-cutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- clear-cuts3rd person singular
- clear-cutting-ing form
- clear-cuttedpast simple
1. To cut down every tree in a particular area of forest or woodland so that the la
To cut down every tree in a particular area of forest or woodland so that the land becomes completely bare.
The timber company plans to clear-cut the entire slope unless a court order stops them.
Tariq's grandfather helped clear-cut the valley in the 1970s to make farmland.
clear-cut parts of [area]
Local activists are trying to stop the government from clear-cutting the ancient forest reserve.
Hiro said the company should not be allowed to clear-cut the hillside above the village.
Once an area is clear-cut, it can take decades for the forest to grow back.
文法句型
clear-cut + noun phrase (forest/area/land)
用法筆記
Often appears in alternative forms: the gerund 'clear-cutting' as an adjective ('clear-cutting practices') and the past participle 'clear-cut' ('a clear-cut hillside'). The past tense and past participle are identical to the base form.