1
as in explaining
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 glossing (over)
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 explaining away
Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 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
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining away
Verb
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Rock and dance music defenders alike have reached for their pitchforks, but Charli isn’t interested in debating or explaining the song to them.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2026
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The dramatic trailer opens with Ty introducing himself in a TikTok video and explaining why he was barricaded in his room.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
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After excusing herself briefly from the conversation, Patricia returns to find the other guests whispering to Shelby about Patricia’s history of dishonesty about almost being a Boogeyman victim.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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The Appeals Court affirmed his convictions Tuesday and denied his motion for a new trial, overruling claims that there were issues with the judge not excusing a juror for cause and the defense counsel was ineffective.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Easily the riskiest entry of the year so far, this expensive — $200 million but who’s counting — Amazon MGM Studios gamble, powered by Ryan Gosling’s star turn as a lonely astronaut, has made $573 million globally, justifying its steep costs.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
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Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining%20away. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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