WOLFRAM

ClearAll[s1,s2,]

clears all values, definitions, attributes, defaults, options and messages for the symbols si.

ClearAll[patt1,patt2,]

clears all symbols whose names textually match any of the arbitrary string patterns patti.

ClearAll[{spec1,spec,}]

clears any symbols that are equal to or whose names match any of the speci.

Details

Examples

open allclose all

Basic Examples  (1)Summary of the most common use cases

Define values and attributes for a symbol:

Out[3]=3

Clear values and attributes:

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Scope  (16)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

Symbol Inputs  (11)

Clear values of variables (ownvalues):

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear functions (downvalues):

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear upvalues:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear subvalues:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear formatting:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear attributes:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear defaults:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear options:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Clear messages:

Clear several symbols:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

Use a combination of symbols and symbol names:

Only x3 remains defined:

Out[3]=3

Using Patterns  (5)

Specify symbols to clear as string patterns:

Out[3]=3

Clear all symbols in the current context:

Out[3]=3

Clear all symbols in a given context:

Out[3]=3

Clear all 2-character symbols in the current context using StringExpression:

The symbols x1 and x2 were cleared, but y remains unaffected:

Out[3]=3

Clear all 3-character symbols in the current context using RegularExpression:

Out[3]=3

Applications  (2)Sample problems that can be solved with this function

Clear any old definitions before making new ones:

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Unprotect and clear all symbols in a package, to allow it to be read twice:

Properties & Relations  (6)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

ClearAll[pattern] clears the same symbols as ClearAll/@Names[pattern]:

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Out[6]=6

Clear does not remove attributes, defaults or options:

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Use ClearAll to clear everything:

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Clear does not remove messages:

Use ClearAll to clear messages:

ClearAll removes all properties and definitions but leaves the symbol intact:

Out[3]=3

Remove removes the symbol completely:

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Use Unset (=.) to clear definitions with a particular left-hand side:

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Clear all definitions and properties:

Out[5]=5

ClearAll has the attribute HoldAll:

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This clears symbol itself:

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This clears its value:

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Possible Issues  (3)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior

Protected symbols cannot be cleared:

Use Unprotect to clear definitions of protected symbols:

Clear can clear the values and definitions for locked symbols:

Out[2]=2
Out[4]=4

ClearAll does not affect locked symbols:

Out[7]=7

When using a pattern without a context mark, all matching symbols on $ContextPath are cleared:

The symbol xy was cleared, along with attempts to clear several system symbols:

Out[2]=2

Use a pattern with an explicit context mark avoid potentially matching symbols from system or other contexts:

Wolfram Research (1988), ClearAll, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html (updated 2022).
Wolfram Research (1988), ClearAll, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html (updated 2022).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), ClearAll, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html (updated 2022).

Wolfram Research (1988), ClearAll, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html (updated 2022).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "ClearAll." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html.

Wolfram Language. 1988. "ClearAll." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). ClearAll. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html

Wolfram Language. (1988). ClearAll. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_clearall, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ClearAll}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html}", note=[Accessed: 11-July-2025 ]}

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_clearall, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ClearAll}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html}", note=[Accessed: 11-July-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_clearall, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ClearAll}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html}, note=[Accessed: 11-July-2025 ]}

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_clearall, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ClearAll}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ClearAll.html}, note=[Accessed: 11-July-2025 ]}