Clear vs Sweep

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Clear

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Sweep

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 verb

	Clear	Sweep
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/klɪə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/klɪr/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/swiːp/","/swiːps/","/swept/","/ˈswiːpɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/swiːp/","/swiːps/","/swept/","/ˈswiːpɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	Easy to see through or understand.	To clean a floor using a broom.
Example	The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic.	I need to sweep the floor before our guests arrive.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A2	B2
Part of speech	adjective	verb
Collocations	be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, extremely, fairly, very, about, on, be, look, become, extremely, fairly, very, loud and clear, be, become, extremely, fairly, very, be, look, seem, completely, fairly, pretty, of	sweep the floor, sweep away, sweep up, sweep under the rug
Antonyms	cloudy, unclear, muddy	dirty, scatter
Common mistakes	'Clear' is often confused with 'clean.', 'Clear' is sometimes incorrectly used as a verb instead of an adjective., Learners may forget to use 'clear' to describe abstract concepts, like thoughts.	Using 'sweep' when referring to vacuuming; instead, say 'vacuum'., Confusing the noun 'sweep' with the verb; remember, 'sweep' is an action.
Usage notes	Use 'clear' to describe something easily understood or free of obstructions. It’s appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. Avoid using it in overly technical discussions where precision matters.	Used in both casual and formal contexts. Appropriate for cleaning discussions or expressing a quick action. Avoid using in highly formal writing about topics unrelated to cleaning.

See it in real clips

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Is that clear?

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Clear

Two of them cops. You can't sweep that... No.

Sweep

Frequently asked questions: Clear vs Sweep

What's the difference between Clear and Sweep?

Clear: Easy to see through or understand. Sweep: To clean a floor using a broom.

Which is more advanced: Clear and Sweep?

Sweep is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Clear and Sweep the same CEFR level?

Clear: A2, Sweep: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Clear and Sweep?

Clear: adjective, Sweep: verb.

Can you show an example of each?

Clear: The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic. Sweep: I need to sweep the floor before our guests arrive.

Can I use Clear and Sweep interchangeably?

Not always. Clear and Sweep are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.