clear the air
Address lingering misunderstandings
To clear the air is to resolve tension or dispel misunderstanding through open discussion: We need to sit down and clear the air about what happened.
The phrase draws on the freshness that follows a thunderstorm—the sense that something oppressive has lifted.
It implies confronting an issue directly rather than letting it fester.
To let go
- unburdeningRelieving oneself of weight
- exhaleExpel breath outward
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- letting goReleasing one's grasp
decompression · emotional release · fresh start · clean slate · moving forward · new beginning · lightness · freedom
Exchange of ideas
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
- talkVerbal exchange between people
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- hashing outDiscussing until resolved
airing grievances · addressing · broaching · bringing up · speaking up · intervention · mediation · sit-down
Statement acknowledging wrongdoing
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
- making upInventing or reconciling
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
understanding · truce · peace · harmony · closure · healing · mending · patching up
Accordance with reality
- candorUnguarded truthfulness
- transparencyState of being see-through
- franknessDirect, unguarded honesty
- sincerityHonest, unfeigned genuineness
directness · openness · confession · disclosure · straight talk · coming clean · full disclosure · heart-to-heart
release
To let go
- unburdeningRelieving oneself of weight
- exhaleExpel breath outward
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
letting go · decompression · emotional release · fresh start · clean slate · moving forward · new beginning · lightness · freedom · liberation
discussion
Exchange of ideas
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
- talkVerbal exchange between people
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
airing grievances · hashing out · addressing · broaching · bringing up · speaking up · intervention · mediation · sit-down · face-to-face
apology
Statement acknowledging wrongdoing
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
- making upInventing or reconciling
resolution · understanding · truce · peace · harmony · closure · healing · mending · patching up · burying the hatchet
truth
Accordance with reality
- candorUnguarded truthfulness
- transparencyState of being see-through
- franknessDirect, unguarded honesty
sincerity · directness · openness · confession · disclosure · straight talk · coming clean · full disclosure · heart-to-heart · leveling
- reconciliationreconciliation, reconcile, reconciled, reconciling, making up
- Weather Idiomsunder the weather, when it rains it pours, come rain or shine, rain check, take a rain check
- Candor Phrasesto be honest, truth be told, honestly, frankly, to tell the truth
- harmony phrasesin sync, in tune, on the same page, see eye to eye, hand in hand
- conflictclash, fight, war, battle, dispute
- apologiessorry, forgive me, my mistake, mea culpa, sincere apology
clear the airbury one's head in the sand
Avoid acknowledging uncomfortable truths
stonewall · keep mum · paper over the cracks · gloss over · look the other way
clear the airstir up trouble
muddy the waters · fan the flames · add fuel to the fire · pour gasoline on the fire · sow discord
clear the airbury one's head in the sand
Avoid acknowledging uncomfortable truths
bottle up · brush aside · gloss over · turn a blind eye · look the other way
clear, cleared, clarify, clearing, clears, unclouded, clarification, clarified, clarifies