clarify

Clarify means to clear up confusion and make it all understandable. In a heart-breaking text, she clarified that she never ever wanted to see him again. It also means to remove impurities in a liquid; you clarify butter by gently heating it.

Clarify and clear are related, of course, and clear means you can see right through it. If you clarify your intention or your meaning, others will understand it clearly. If you aren't clear at the outset, you might find the need to clarify what you want later.

Definitions of clarify
1

v make clear by removing impurities or solids, as by heating

“clarify the butter”
“clarify beer”
Type of:
alter, change, modify
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

v make clear and (more) comprehensible

“clarify the mystery surrounding her death”
Synonyms:
clear up, elucidate
Antonyms:
obfuscate
make obscure or unclear
Types:
show 8 types...
hide 8 types...
demystify
make less mysterious or remove the mystery from
clear, clear up, crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize, elucidate, enlighten, illuminate, shed light on, sort out, straighten out
make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear
dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expand, expatiate, exposit, expound, flesh out, lucubrate
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
disambiguate
state unambiguously or remove ambiguities from
detail
provide details for
exposit, expound, set forth
state
exemplify, illustrate, instance
clarify by giving an example of
particularise, particularize, specialise, specialize, specify
be specific about
Type of:
explain, explicate
make plain and comprehensible

Sign up, it's free!

Whether you're a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, Vocabulary.com can put you on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.