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
The famed African American journalist investigated lynchings across the South and wrote about the savage incidents that the white press had already explained away.
—
Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
That bone-deep exhaustion during perimenopause is easy to explain away.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
At the time, the signs felt easy to explain away.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The conversations were often brief and fragmented, shaped by years of pain that had already been normalized or explained away.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Case Thorp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026
That bone-deep exhaustion during perimenopause is easy to explain away.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
At the time, the signs felt easy to explain away.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The conversations were often brief and fragmented, shaped by years of pain that had already been normalized or explained away.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Besides the driver, an amiable man who was happy to explain how the shredder worked, only a few nervous schoolchildren stood around, supervised by a woman with a badge that identified her as an envoy of the library.—
Mary Norris,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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The bulletin examined nutrition in common foods (especially meat, bread, and milk), explained how the body uses food as fuel, outlined dietary standards, and considered the economy of food, food waste, and connections between food and health.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers excused Musk from the witness stand Thursday, but he may be called back later.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Esposito worries about a growing illusion that efficiency tools can excuse leaders from the hard, intimate work of sitting with another human being to face some difficult problem.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So far, that skepticism has appeared justified.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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This seeming deference to executive interests is particularly difficult to justify in an administration willing to flout court orders.—
Gregg Nunziata,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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