as in obvious
easy to understand without explanation
a self-explanatory phrase The chapter titles of the book are self-explanatory.
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Recent Examples of self-explanatory
The self-explanatory deal allows customers to enjoy unlimited soup or salad, pasta and breadsticks.
—
Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Cleaning a mirror in your bathroom, bedroom, or living room might seem self-explanatory, but properly wiping down a mirror really makes a world of a difference.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
Single Barrel is self-explanatory; the whiskey is from one single barrel and, as such, can vary between bottlings.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
If the concept seems self-explanatory, consider that the guidelines claim that both vegetable oil and sparkling water are nutrient-dense.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Cleaning a mirror in your bathroom, bedroom, or living room might seem self-explanatory, but properly wiping down a mirror really makes a world of a difference.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
Single Barrel is self-explanatory; the whiskey is from one single barrel and, as such, can vary between bottlings.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
If the concept seems self-explanatory, consider that the guidelines claim that both vegetable oil and sparkling water are nutrient-dense.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-explanatory
Adjective
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And a soft implant can be the best option to avoid an obvious edge.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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That’s because your liver won’t give you obvious clues that say there’s a MASH up going there.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the lab, Goldie’s thoughts circled and surrounded the minutiae of analysis and computation, sorted microscopic comparisons, developed overviews that laid out sequences and processes logically and accurately in theories not otherwise comprehensible.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
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Crosser, going into detail comprehensible only to the network-savvy attendees, laid out all the steps Zoom may go through trying to connect from within a highly secure network.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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His lowest point came midway through this tournament, and that chastening defeat to East Germany — a game Schon desperately wanted to win, for understandable reasons.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Pressures are understandable, but Campbell has to do a better job of limiting pre-snap penalties.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This is not your father’s or grandfather’s Atherton High School football program, and never was that more evident than Tuesday’s practice at the school.—
Rich Barak,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
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The care taken in preparing the food is evident.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Paramount’s apparent interest is no surprise since the company’s ambitious new CEO, David Ellison, has talked about a desire to strike further deals.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to reduce your chances of being confronted with violent or disturbing videos.—
Annie Margaret,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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At a joint appearance after a leadership meeting on Thursday, Schumer framed the dispute as a straightforward test over health care.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Place in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, v0 enables teams to generate responsive UIs directly from Figma designs or plain English descriptions, thereby minimizing the gap between vision and implementation.—
Paul Kovalenko,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their simple plan goes awry when one of their relatives wants a posh Korean wedding banquet in the heartfelt romantic comedy.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The inspiration The Copleys wanted a low-water garden that would be simple to care for.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-explanatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-explanatory. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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