clean sheet

noun

An absence of debts or indictments.

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Meanings

nounclean sheet (plural clean sheets)

plural clean sheets

  1. figurativelyAn absence of debts or indictments.
  2. figurativelyball gamesA game played without having conceded a goal.

    Birmingham had their defence to thank for a clean sheet, although they were lucky to escape when Manuel da Costa shot off-target and then headed wide.

    2011 February 6, Alistair Magowan, “West Ham 0 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC
    1 more example

    Nigeria had scored only three goals in three games, all against Australia, but they had also kept two clean sheets and their defensive organisation continued to frustrate England immensely.

    2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack, “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see clean, sheet.

Translations

Arabic شِباكٌ نَظِيفَةٌ
  • شِباكٌ نَظِيفَةٌ (šibākun naẓīfatun)(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
Bulgarian суха мрежа
  • суха мрежа (suha mreža)(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
French cage inviolée
  • cage inviolée(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
German weiße Weste
  • weiße Weste(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
Polish czyste konto
  • czyste konto(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
Russian вы́игрыш всуху́ю
  • вы́игрыш всуху́ю (výigryš vsuxúju)(soccer) game played without having conceded a goal
Cite this entry
APA

clean sheet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clean%20sheet

MLA

“clean sheet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clean%20sheet. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clean sheet,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clean%20sheet.

Source: clean sheet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.