expression, godan verb (-su)
wipe the slate clean; start anew; reset to a blank state
Used when a situation, plan, or relationship is reset to its original, unmarked state, as if returning to a blank sheet of paper. Often implies discarding past problems or progress.
See also: 白紙に戻す
過去の失敗を白紙に返して、新しい計画を立てよう。
Let's wipe the slate clean of past failures and make a new plan.
交渉は難航したが、いったん白紙に返して再スタートすることになった。
The negotiations were difficult, but we decided to reset them to a blank state and start over.