"clear away" vs. "clear up"

[linhtho0211]

Which word would you choose to fill in the gap following?
John tidied the living room while I cleared _____ the dirty dishes.
A. away B. out C. up D. off

I chose A and the answer key was also A. But when I looked up the dictionary to verify the answer, I found out that "clear away" and "clear up" had the same meaning - to make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong. So why choose A not C?
Please help me. Thanks in advance.

[BobK]

Which word would you choose to fill in the gap following?
John tidied the living room while I cleared _____ the dirty dishes.
A. away B. out C. up D. off

I chose A and the answer key was also A. But when I looked up the dictionary to verify the answer, I found out that "clear away" and "clear up" had the same meaning - to make a place look tidier by putting things back where they belong. So why to choose A not C?
Please help me. Thanks in advance.

I would choose C. Clearing up, when used with a direct object, is something you do after an accident. You clear up broken glass. When there is no object, just a general lack of tidiness, what you do is clear up, either with no object or with an object that relates to location: 'She cleared up the living room.'

If the dirty dishes are on the table in the dining room, the sequence (in my use of the verbs) is:

• Clear the table / Clear the dishes away [the dirty dishes are not ready to be put away - they have just been moved to the kitchen]
• Wash up
• Dry up
• Put the dishes away

The dictionary that told you the two phrasal verbs 'had the same meaning' was over-simplifying (probably for lack of space). There are contexts where their meanings are similar.

b