clear off
leave a place quickly (BrE, informal)
What does "clear off" mean?
Examples
- The shopkeeper told the group of teenagers to clear off before he called the police.
- By the time we got there, the crowd had already cleared off.
- Just clear off and leave me alone — I've had enough!
How to use it
This is the standard use — the verb stands alone with no object after it.
As soon as the rain started, everyone cleared off.
The imperative form is the most common use, typically to tell someone unwanted to go away.
Clear off! You're not supposed to be back here.
Use this pattern when reporting that someone was ordered to leave.
The manager told the rowdy customers to clear off before he called security.
You can add where someone went to give more detail about the departure.
He cleared off home without even saying goodbye.
Use this pattern to explain the circumstances that prompted the quick departure.
They cleared off before the supervisor had a chance to say anything.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
In this sense, 'clear off' is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. Adding a noun after it suggests the different financial sense (paying off a debt), which is a separate meaning entirely.
'Clear out' can mean almost the same thing informally, but unlike 'clear off', it can also be transitive ('clear out the attic'). If you mean simply 'to leave', both can work, but 'clear off' tends to sound slightly more dismissive and is only ever intransitive in the leaving sense.
'Clear off' is informal British English and will sound out of place in formal writing or in conversation with American English speakers, who are unlikely to recognise it. Use 'leave', 'go', or 'get out of here' in those situations instead.
Usage
This is a British English expression and may not be understood in American English contexts. It is informal and often sounds impatient or rude, so it is most natural as a command when someone wants another person to leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'clear off' rude? Can I use it with friends?
It sits somewhere between blunt and rude — it's stronger than 'go away' but not as aggressive as some other expressions. Among close friends in a joking context it can be used lightly, but if said seriously, most British English speakers would take it as a firm, impatient dismissal.
Does 'clear off' have a different meaning? I've seen it used with money.
Yes — 'clear off' also has a transitive sense meaning to pay off or eliminate a debt, as in 'she cleared off her overdraft'. That is a completely different meaning. The leaving sense is always intransitive (no object), while the debt sense always has an object after it.
Would an American English speaker understand 'clear off'?
Probably not without context — 'clear off' in the leaving sense is almost exclusively British English. American English speakers are more likely to say 'get out of here', 'beat it', or 'take off' for similar situations.
Can 'clear off' describe someone leaving on their own, or only when told to leave?
Both are possible. You can use it as a command ('Clear off!') or to describe someone who simply disappeared abruptly ('He just cleared off without a word'). The second use often implies the person left suddenly and without much explanation, sometimes to avoid a difficult situation.
Ready to practise?
Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.
Start Practising →