CLEAN SLATE Definition & Meaning

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clean slate

A new start; especially to make a new start by clearing the record. This phrase comes from the use of chalk and slates in classrooms in the past. By wiping the slate clean, a student could remove any evidence of a mistake.

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Idioms and Phrases

A fresh start; another chance after wiping out old offenses or debts. This idiom often appears as wipe the slate clean . For example, Henry's boss assured him that the matter was finished and he could start with a clean slate , or He wished he could wipe the slate clean, but it was too late to salvage the relationship . This expression alludes to the slate boards on which school work or tavern bills were recorded in easily wiped-off chalk. Since 1850 or so the term has been used figuratively, and it has long outlived the practice of writing on slate.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Also, we’d just moved to a new apartment, which felt like a nice time for a clean slate.

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In one sense, he would be starting with a clean slate.

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“Everyone always loves a clean slate,” he said.

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But per the Times, Paramount executives want a clean slate with the Trump administration as the company finalizes a merger with Skydance, for which it will need a rubber stamp from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission.

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"It was like a clean slate for me when I came to pick my team," he told BBC Sport.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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