The term 'cleans the slate' is a metaphor for starting anew, wiping away the past and beginning again. The two crossword solutions for this term are 'ERASES' and 'DELETES, ' both of which refer to the act of removing something from existence. Erasing is typically used in reference to physical objects, such as writing on a chalkboard or paper, while deleting is usually used in reference to digital objects, such as files on a computer. Both words imply the same concept of removing something from existence, and thus can be used interchangeably when referring to the phrase 'cleans the slate.'