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
Pass interference – a foul that has derailed many great passing plays – is at the most basic level self-explanatory.
—
Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2025
The six players Booth had in mind were self-explanatory: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% $6 THE ORDINARY
While the name is quite self-explanatory, as are most of The Ordinary's products, not everyone is aware that the combination of niacinamide and zinc brightens the skin, improves texture, and strengthens the skin barrier.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
The first is pretty self-explanatory — users can upload image files into the tool from their computer, Dropbox, or Adobe Experience Manager, and quickly remove the backgrounds.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 14 Feb. 2025
The six players Booth had in mind were self-explanatory: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Russell Westbrook.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2025
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% $6 THE ORDINARY
While the name is quite self-explanatory, as are most of The Ordinary's products, not everyone is aware that the combination of niacinamide and zinc brightens the skin, improves texture, and strengthens the skin barrier.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
The first is pretty self-explanatory — users can upload image files into the tool from their computer, Dropbox, or Adobe Experience Manager, and quickly remove the backgrounds.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-explanatory
Adjective
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Find the right dog kennel site This may seem obvious, but good site selection can mean the difference between a single workday and an entire holiday weekend.—
Patrick Brady,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2025
-
The crony character of protectionism becomes obvious when examining the labyrinthine incoherence of U.S. trade policy.—
David B. McGarry,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For patients to benefit fully from AI, there must be clear and comprehensible explanations of how these systems work and how they are evaluated.—
Rob El Kareh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
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Given the stakes for reproductive autonomy, Donegan’s reservations are entirely comprehensible.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The Conrad’s commitment to sustainable practices is evident in its daily operations.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
That much was evident in the latest meeting as both sets of players gave everything to try to get one over the other in what has become a rivalry for the ages.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Fears of a possible constitutional crisis are on the rise following an apparent standoff between Donald Trump and a federal judge after the president was ordered to stop deportation flights traveling to El Salvador.—
The Editors,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
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No rhyme, reason, or apparent causality except that computers are just [unprintable expletives].—
Nate Anderson,
Ars Technica,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Playing net-front is not as straightforward as going to the front of the net and standing there.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Although cannabis impairment detection is not as straightforward as with alcohol, police are still able to identify it.—
Tanya Mohn,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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However, plain baking soda may be harsh for everyday use and could cause discomfort in people with sensitive teeth or mouths.3 Using a toothpaste that includes baking soda as an ingredient may be safer and more pleasant for daily use.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Health,
27 Mar. 2025
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In terms of the other players in the top eight for earnings who are available, Ratcliffe made plain his dislike of the Casemiro deal from the beginning of his investment pursuit, asking several firm questions about it to senior staff during his due-diligence stage.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Martha Stewart and Mila Kunis carried ones that looked like this simple option.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
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Murena Pixel Tablet Apps Switching away from Google's flavor of Android will always result in an app gap, and there's no simple way around it.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With the data collected over the years, researchers were able to develop a clearer picture of the sharks’ movements and behavior patterns in the area.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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When playing indoors, clear glasses with anti-reflective coating are recommended.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-explanatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-explanatory. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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