1
as in to explain
to give the reason for or cause of
after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
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2
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explain away
The gallium anomaly remains similarly tough to explain away.
—
Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.
—Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
That bone-deep exhaustion during perimenopause is easy to explain away.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
At the time, the signs felt easy to explain away.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.
—Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
That bone-deep exhaustion during perimenopause is easy to explain away.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
At the time, the signs felt easy to explain away.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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This may explain why credit markets barely budged after last week’s spending figures.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Given the profusion of riad tourist accommodation in Marrakech, you’d be excused for thinking the buildings originated as hotels.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Homeowners are also excused from the annual tax if the second home’s owner or the owner’s family is getting medical care in Greater Vancouver and lives outside that area, if the home is being repaired or substantially renovated.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In recent years, even some advocates of free trade have come around to the idea that certain tariffs can be justified on strategic and national-security grounds, especially when working with an avowedly mercantilist country like China.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Those benefits justified a rule holding employers responsible when hybrid workers cause others injury while moving between their home and office.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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