clearing the decks

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Supreme Court handed down six cases on Friday, clearing the decks for the blockbusters it will likely release by the end of the month.

From Slate • Jun. 20, 2025

Humza Yousaf spent his first few months as first minister effectively clearing the decks.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2023

Peter Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announced Monday he is not seeking a third term as mayor, clearing the decks for a possible bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

From Washington Times • Dec. 17, 2018

Tweeted Bob: “One quick thought is that the Seahawks are just clearing the decks of everything they don’t want to deal with in 2018.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2018

Sailors were dashing about battening hatches, running lines, clearing the decks, lashing down everything that was not already lashed down.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin