1
as in explained
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 excused
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 explained away
Endometriosis has long been stigmatized and patient pain often explained away through other diagnoses, with the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis lasting four to 11 years.
—
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Now, could it be maybe explained away?
—Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
One downside of Oza’s model, Kipping notes, is that any fluctuations in the levels of sulfur dioxide, sodium and potassium observed on WASP-39b can be easily explained away as variability in eruptions.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Now, could it be maybe explained away?
—Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
One downside of Oza’s model, Kipping notes, is that any fluctuations in the levels of sulfur dioxide, sodium and potassium observed on WASP-39b can be easily explained away as variability in eruptions.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explained away
Verb
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Many joked that the clip explained years of mysterious toy discoveries beneath their own furniture.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Hollis, Queens, resident Patricia Khan first met McLogan in 2024 and explained her predicament at the time.—
Elle McLogan,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their case is due back in court on June 16 for a pretrial conference, but the three troopers are able to be excused from appearing in person.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Woods has always had a complicated reputation, but he’s also widely considered one of the best golfers ever, which means a lot of his problematic behavior has been excused because of his talent and his friendship with the US President.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This view of the presidency has justified his executive orders at home and tariffs that affect the global economy.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The opioid crisis alone justified a generation of skepticism.—
Vikas Patel,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explained away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explained%20away. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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