diff --git a/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import.go b/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import.go
index 06059fd5..1481b601 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import.go
@@ -206,10 +206,12 @@ func runImportCmd(opts *ImportOptions) error {
 			opts.IO.StopProgressIndicator()
 			return err
 		}
-		res, err := client.SaveRules(
-			client.NewApiSaveRulesRequest(opts.Index, rules).
-				WithForwardToReplicas(opts.ForwardToReplicas),
-		)
+		request := client.NewApiSaveRulesRequest(opts.Index, rules).
+			WithForwardToReplicas(opts.ForwardToReplicas)
+		if clearExistingRules {
+			request = request.WithClearExistingRules(true)
+		}
+		res, err := client.SaveRules(request)
 		if err != nil {
 			opts.IO.StopProgressIndicator()
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import_test.go b/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import_test.go
index 81931df5..0c684c72 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/rules/import/import_test.go
@@ -178,6 +178,30 @@ func Test_runExportCmd(t *testing.T) {
 			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 0 rules to foo\n",
 			setup:   func(r *httpmock.Registry) {},
 		},
+		{
+			name:    "from small batch clear existing",
+			cli:     "foo -c -y -F -",
+			stdin:   `{"objectID":"test"}`,
+			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 1 rules to foo\n",
+			setup: func(r *httpmock.Registry) {
+				r.Register(httpmock.Matcher(func(req *http.Request) bool {
+					return httpmock.REST("POST", "1/indexes/foo/rules/batch")(req) &&
+						req.URL.Query().Get("clearExistingRules") == "true"
+				}), httpmock.JSONResponse(search.UpdatedAtResponse{}))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "from small batch without clear existing",
+			cli:     "foo -F -",
+			stdin:   `{"objectID":"test"}`,
+			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 1 rules to foo\n",
+			setup: func(r *httpmock.Registry) {
+				r.Register(httpmock.Matcher(func(req *http.Request) bool {
+					return httpmock.REST("POST", "1/indexes/foo/rules/batch")(req) &&
+						req.URL.Query().Get("clearExistingRules") == ""
+				}), httpmock.JSONResponse(search.UpdatedAtResponse{}))
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name:    "from large batch clear existing",
 			cli:     "foo -c -y -F -",
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import.go b/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import.go
index 3ac65f83..b6cc2ae9 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import.go
@@ -182,10 +182,12 @@ func runImportCmd(opts *ImportOptions) error {
 			opts.IO.StopProgressIndicator()
 			return err
 		}
-		res, err := client.SaveSynonyms(
-			client.NewApiSaveSynonymsRequest(opts.Index, synonyms).
-				WithForwardToReplicas(opts.ForwardToReplicas),
-		)
+		request := client.NewApiSaveSynonymsRequest(opts.Index, synonyms).
+			WithForwardToReplicas(opts.ForwardToReplicas)
+		if clearExistingSynonyms {
+			request = request.WithReplaceExistingSynonyms(true)
+		}
+		res, err := client.SaveSynonyms(request)
 		if err != nil {
 			opts.IO.StopProgressIndicator()
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import_test.go b/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import_test.go
index bd030b92..ada83913 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/synonyms/import/import_test.go
@@ -193,6 +193,30 @@ func Test_runExportCmd(t *testing.T) {
 			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 0 synonyms to foo\n",
 			setup:   func(r *httpmock.Registry) {},
 		},
+		{
+			name:    "from small batch with clear existing",
+			cli:     "foo -r -F -",
+			stdin:   `{"objectID":"test","type":"synonym","synonyms":["test"]}`,
+			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 1 synonyms to foo\n",
+			setup: func(r *httpmock.Registry) {
+				r.Register(httpmock.Matcher(func(req *http.Request) bool {
+					return httpmock.REST("POST", "1/indexes/foo/synonyms/batch")(req) &&
+						req.URL.Query().Get("replaceExistingSynonyms") == "true"
+				}), httpmock.JSONResponse(search.UpdatedAtResponse{}))
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "from small batch without clear existing",
+			cli:     "foo -F -",
+			stdin:   `{"objectID":"test","type":"synonym","synonyms":["test"]}`,
+			wantOut: "✓ Successfully imported 1 synonyms to foo\n",
+			setup: func(r *httpmock.Registry) {
+				r.Register(httpmock.Matcher(func(req *http.Request) bool {
+					return httpmock.REST("POST", "1/indexes/foo/synonyms/batch")(req) &&
+						req.URL.Query().Get("replaceExistingSynonyms") == ""
+				}), httpmock.JSONResponse(search.UpdatedAtResponse{}))
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name:    "from large batch with clear existing",
 			cli:     "foo -r -F -",