[Idiom] CLEAR THE DECK. - Getting Ready for Action Efficiently

Prepare for action.

Clear the deck" suggests a readiness for action or the clearing of obstacles. Originally a nautical term where sailors would clear the ship’s deck of everything unnecessary for battle, this idiom now broadly suggests clearing away obstacles or preoccupying issues to focus on the task at hand. Think of it as prepping your workspace before a big project – a clear deck makes for smoother sailing.

Example Sentences

1. Let's clear the deck so we can start afresh tomorrow. (lɛts klɪr ðə dɛk soʊ wi kæn stɑrt əˈfrɛʃ təˈmɔroʊ.)

   Let's remove all obstacles or distractions to start fresh tomorrow.

2. Before the meeting started, they cleared the deck by solving the pending issues. (bɪˈfɔr ðə ˈmitɪŋ ˈstɑrtɪd, ðe ˈklɪrd ðə dɛk baɪ ˈsɑlvɪŋ ðə ˈpɛndɪŋ ˈɪʃuz.)

   Before starting the meeting, they addressed and resolved pending issues.

3. We need to clear the deck of all distractions to focus on our project. (wi nid tu klɭ̩r ðə dɛk əv ɔl dɪˈstrækʃənz tu ˈfoʊkəs ɑn ɑr ˈprɑʤɛkt.)

   We need to eliminate all distractions to concentrate on our project.