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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Recent Examples of explain away
Despite the show's efforts to explain away a TARDIS's functionality with black holes and the Time Vortex, its abilities are best regarded as magic.
—
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Jean doesn’t try to explain away the contradiction.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Jean doesn’t try to explain away the contradiction.
—Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Using a synesthetic logic all his own, Torres explains why Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson is orange, Catholicism is purple, and navy blue is the nefarious color that secretly runs the world.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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For an overview of small business tax responsibilities, see IRS Publication 583, which explains general filing and recordkeeping requirements.—
Nancy Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Conflicts abroad, such as in Iran, that may disrupt domestic oil resources could also be used as an argument to justify the need to drill, Sivas said.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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