diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 338397d..a8c0636 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ name = "layout"
 path = "examples/layout.rs"
 required-features = ["termion"]
 
+[[example]]
+name = "popup"
+path = "examples/popup.rs"
+required-features = ["termion"]
+
 [[example]]
 name = "block"
 path = "examples/block.rs"
diff --git a/examples/popup.rs b/examples/popup.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c12979
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/popup.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+mod util;
+
+use crate::util::event::{Event, Events};
+use std::{error::Error, io};
+use termion::{event::Key, input::MouseTerminal, raw::IntoRawMode, screen::AlternateScreen};
+use tui::layout::Rect;
+use tui::widgets::Clear;
+use tui::{
+    backend::TermionBackend,
+    layout::{Alignment, Constraint, Direction, Layout},
+    style::{Color, Modifier, Style},
+    widgets::{Block, Borders, Paragraph, Text},
+    Terminal,
+};
+
+/// helper function to create a centered rect using up
+/// certain percentage of the available rect `r`
+fn centered_rect(percent_x: u16, percent_y: u16, r: Rect) -> Rect {
+    let popup_layout = Layout::default()
+        .direction(Direction::Vertical)
+        .constraints(
+            [
+                Constraint::Percentage((100 - percent_y) / 2),
+                Constraint::Percentage(percent_y),
+                Constraint::Percentage((100 - percent_y) / 2),
+            ]
+            .as_ref(),
+        )
+        .split(r);
+
+    Layout::default()
+        .direction(Direction::Horizontal)
+        .constraints(
+            [
+                Constraint::Percentage((100 - percent_x) / 2),
+                Constraint::Percentage(percent_x),
+                Constraint::Percentage((100 - percent_x) / 2),
+            ]
+            .as_ref(),
+        )
+        .split(popup_layout[1])[1]
+}
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    // Terminal initialization
+    let stdout = io::stdout().into_raw_mode()?;
+    let stdout = MouseTerminal::from(stdout);
+    let stdout = AlternateScreen::from(stdout);
+    let backend = TermionBackend::new(stdout);
+    let mut terminal = Terminal::new(backend)?;
+    terminal.hide_cursor()?;
+
+    let events = Events::new();
+
+    loop {
+        terminal.draw(|mut f| {
+            let size = f.size();
+
+            let chunks = Layout::default()
+                .direction(Direction::Horizontal)
+                .constraints([Constraint::Percentage(50), Constraint::Percentage(50)].as_ref())
+                .split(size);
+
+                let s = "Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery    loooooooooooooooooong   striiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.   ";
+                let mut long_line = s.repeat(usize::from(size.width)*usize::from(size.height)/300);
+                long_line.push('\n');
+
+            let text = [
+                Text::raw("This is a line \n"),
+                Text::styled("This is a line   \n", Style::default().fg(Color::Red)),
+                Text::styled("This is a line\n", Style::default().bg(Color::Blue)),
+                Text::styled(
+                    "This is a longer line\n",
+                    Style::default().modifier(Modifier::CROSSED_OUT),
+                ),
+                Text::styled(&long_line, Style::default().bg(Color::Green)),
+                Text::styled(
+                    "This is a line\n",
+                    Style::default().fg(Color::Green).modifier(Modifier::ITALIC),
+                ),
+            ];
+
+            let paragraph = Paragraph::new(text.iter())
+                .block(Block::default().title("Left Block").borders(Borders::ALL))
+                .alignment(Alignment::Left).wrap(true);
+            f.render_widget(paragraph, chunks[0]);
+
+            let paragraph = Paragraph::new(text.iter())
+                .block(Block::default().title("Right Block").borders(Borders::ALL))
+                .alignment(Alignment::Left).wrap(true);
+            f.render_widget(paragraph, chunks[1]);
+
+            let block = Block::default().title("Popup").borders(Borders::ALL);
+            let area = centered_rect(60, 20, size);
+            f.render_widget(Clear, area); //this clears out the background
+            f.render_widget(block, area);
+        })?;
+
+        match events.next()? {
+            Event::Input(input) => {
+                if let Key::Char('q') = input {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            _ => {}
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets/clear.rs b/src/widgets/clear.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82a7a90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widgets/clear.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+use crate::buffer::Buffer;
+use crate::layout::Rect;
+use crate::widgets::Widget;
+
+/// A widget to to clear/reset a certain area to allow overdrawing (e.g. for popups)
+///
+/// # Examples
+///
+/// ```
+/// # use tui::widgets::{Clear, Block, Borders};
+/// # use tui::layout::Rect;
+/// # use tui::Frame;
+/// # use tui::backend::Backend;
+/// fn draw_on_clear<B: Backend>(f: &mut Frame<B>, area: Rect) {
+///     let block = Block::default().title("Block").borders(Borders::ALL);
+///     f.render_widget(Clear, area); // <- this will clear/reset the area first
+///     f.render_widget(block, area); // now render the block widget
+/// }
+/// ```
+///
+/// # Popup Example
+///
+/// For a more complete example how to utilize `Clear` to realize popups see
+/// the example `examples/popup.rs`
+pub struct Clear;
+
+impl Widget for Clear {
+    fn render(self, area: Rect, buf: &mut Buffer) {
+        for x in area.left()..area.right() {
+            for y in area.top()..area.bottom() {
+                buf.get_mut(x, y).reset();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets/mod.rs b/src/widgets/mod.rs
index aa161c3..98b6fcc 100644
--- a/src/widgets/mod.rs
+++ b/src/widgets/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ mod barchart;
 mod block;
 pub mod canvas;
 mod chart;
+mod clear;
 mod gauge;
 mod list;
 mod paragraph;
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ mod tabs;
 pub use self::barchart::BarChart;
 pub use self::block::{Block, BorderType};
 pub use self::chart::{Axis, Chart, Dataset, GraphType, Marker};
+pub use self::clear::Clear;
 pub use self::gauge::Gauge;
 pub use self::list::{List, ListState};
 pub use self::paragraph::Paragraph;