clear the air

verb

To assuage a hostile or uncomfortable situation.

Opposite
add fuel to the fire
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Meanings

verbclear the air (third-person singular simple present clears the air, present participle clearing the air, simple past and past participle cleared the air)

present singular third person clears the air · participle present clearing the air · participle past cleared the air · past cleared the air

  1. idiomaticTo assuage a hostile or uncomfortable situation.

    Good table manners?Yep. He cleared the air by expressing his nervousness about using chopsticks.

    2023 December 23, “Blind date: ‘He said he’d like to marry me’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
    2 more examples

    After much bitter in-fighting over the issue of the BF and other issues, I felt it was time to clear the air rather than deal in back-biting.

    1976 August 7, Kathy Guilmette, “Devil's Advocate”, in Gay Community News, page 4

    This relationship began when you went to the Father and cleared the air by asking Him to forgive your past mistakes and sins.

    2014, David Judson, Are You Attackable?: Embracing God During the Battles In Life

    Antonyms: add fuel to the fire

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo assuage a hostile or uncomfortable situation.

Opposite
add fuel to the fire

Translations

Finnish puhdistaa ilmapiiriä, puhdistaa ilmaa
  • puhdistaa ilmapiiriäto assuage a hostile situation
  • puhdistaa ilmaato assuage a hostile situation
French crever l'abcès, mettre les choses au clair
  • crever l'abcèsto assuage a hostile situation
  • mettre les choses au clairto assuage a hostile situation
  • détendre l'atmosphèreto assuage a hostile situation
Polish oczyszczać atmosferę, oczyścić atmosferę
  • oczyszczać atmosferęto assuage a hostile situation
  • oczyścić atmosferęto assuage a hostile situation
Russian разряди́ть атмосфе́ру
  • разряди́ть атмосфе́ру (razrjadítʹ atmosféru)to assuage a hostile situation
Spanish apaciguar los ánimos, templar gaitas
  • apaciguar los ánimosto assuage a hostile situation
  • templar gaitasto assuage a hostile situation
  • aclarar las cosasto assuage a hostile situation
Swedish rensa luften
  • rensa luftento assuage a hostile situation
Cite this entry
APA

clear the air. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clear%20the%20air

MLA

“clear the air.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clear%20the%20air. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clear the air,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clear%20the%20air.

Source: clear the air on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.