free and clear

free and clear idiom
Without any legal encumbrance, such as a lien or mortgage. For example, After the mortgage was paid off they owned the house free and clear. [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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