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
Prosecutors said that the kids had previously been in and out of the hospital for bruising, bleach burns and potential internal bleeding, among other reasons, all of which their parents were able to explain away, WLWT reported.
—
Bailey Richards, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
But in his tenure, he's never had to explain away a loss on his watch in a statewide race.
—Dana Ferguson, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
The message on the left is the attempt of the main admin to explain away the message as a copy past mistake and reaffirm their undying love and faith in the leaderCourtesy the author; Screenshot from Telegram
Whatever his health, Khamenei's age alone has made succession a major preoccupation.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Bailey Richards, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
But in his tenure, he's never had to explain away a loss on his watch in a statewide race.
—Dana Ferguson, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
The message on the left is the attempt of the main admin to explain away the message as a copy past mistake and reaffirm their undying love and faith in the leaderCourtesy the author; Screenshot from Telegram
Whatever his health, Khamenei's age alone has made succession a major preoccupation.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff explains how Chiefs-Bills became the NFL’s best playoff rivalry.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2025
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With the world's richest man now joining President Trump at the White House, Elon Musk's biographer explains what drives the tech titan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Taake isn’t the only Jan. 6 figure to find trouble waiting after being excused for actions on Jan. 6.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Jan. 2025
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But long before its behavior was excused by some Americans as a response to Western support for Ukraine, Russia was undermining American interests around the world.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The disregard is reciprocated, and equally justified in the other direction.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
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Relatedly, officers frequently justified stops using standard language that strongly suggests they weren’t driven by individualized suspicion.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near explain away
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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