Definition of clear out

The origin of the phrase "clear out" can be traced back to the early 19th century, when it was used primarily in the context of military strategy. In this context, "clear out" meant to remove all enemy forces from a specific area before advancing to capture it. The phrase evolved, and by the mid-19th century, it began to be used more broadly to describe the process of evacuating people or objects from a place, often due to danger or the need to leave quickly. For example, "clear out of town" could mean evacuating a town prior to a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or flood. In its modern usage, "clear out" can typically be seen in the context of retail, where it's used to describe the process of selling items at a discount to make room for new inventory. This meaning of the phrase came into use around the turn of the 20th century. While the origins of "clear out" can be traced back to military strategy, its flexibility and versatility have allowed it to adapt and evolve over time, now used to describe a wide variety of situations where evacuation, removal, or departure is necessary.