Roleset clear.01 Verbnet Class: 1 "clean, make clear or open":

Roles:

Arg0:cleaner


Arg1:thing made clean


Arg2:dirt

Examples:

transitive (-)
John cleared the crowded street.
Arg0:	John
REL:	cleared
Arg1:	the crowded street




with dirt (-)
Inquiry clears Texas judge of bias in comments on homosexual murder victims.
Arg0:	Inquiry
REL:	clears
Arg1:	Texas judge
Arg2-of:	bias
Argm-LOC:	in comments on homosexual murder victims

Roleset clear.02 Verbnet Class: 1 "approve":

Roles:

Arg0:agent, approver


Arg1:thing approved


Arg2:semi-idiomatic: 'the way'

Examples:

just plain transitive (-)
A.L. Williams Corp. was merged into Primerica Corp., New York, after a special meeting of Williams shareholders cleared the transaction, the companies said.
Arg0:	a special meeting of Williams shareholders
REL:	cleared
Arg1:	the transaction




clear the way (-)
In a surprise move, the British government cleared the way for a bidding war for Jaguar PLC by agreeing to remove an obstacle to a takeover of the auto maker.
ArgM-LOC:	In a surprise move
Arg0:	the British government
REL:	cleared
Arg2:	the way
Arg1-for:	a bidding war for Jaguar PLC
ArgM-MNR:	by agreeing to remove an obstacle to a takeover of the auto maker




passive extraction (-)
Dime Savings Bank of New York was cleared *trace* by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to acquire Starpointe Savings Bank of Somerset, N.J., the banks said.
REL:	cleared
Arg1:	*trace* -> Dime Savings Bank of New York
Arg0-by:	the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Arg1-STR:	to acquire Starpointe Savings Bank of Somerset, N.J.,

The example with 'clear the way' is really a blend of the 'clean' and 'approve' senses, but notice that "a bidding war" is still the thing approved--not "the way"!

Roleset clear.03 Verbnet Class: NONE "escape, avoid":

Roles:

Arg0:escaper


Arg1:thing escaped

Examples:

transitive (-)
The compromise plan, which boosts the minimum wage for the first time since 1981, is expected *trace* to clear the Senate soon.
Arg0:	*trace* -> The compromise plan, which boosts the minimum wage for the first time since 1981,
REL:	clear
Arg1:	the Senate
ArgM-TMP:	soon

What's interesting about this roleset is that it's the exact opposite of the 'approve' roleset; you could also say 'the Senate cleared the compromise'. Disambiguation machines are going to have a fit over this.

Roleset clear.04 Verbnet Class: 1 "become/make clear, clean":

Roles:

Arg0:cleaner


Arg1:thing becoming clean

Examples:

clear up my acne? (-)
But it is puzzling to some Hollywood executives that Sony rushed to hire them without *trace* clearing up the Warner situation first.
Arg0:	*trace* -> Sony
REL:	[ clearing] [ up]
Arg1:	the Warner situation
ArgM-TMP:	first

Essentially the same as the 'clean' roleset.