explainer
noun
ex·plain·er
ik-ˈsplā-nər 
plural explainers
: a person or thing that explains something: such as
a
: a person who makes something understandable
Modern day presidents must be good explainers of a complex world …—
Jonathan Alter et al.
Jonathan Alter et al.
b
: an article, podcast, graphic, etc., that explains something complex or not widely understood : an in-depth treatment of a topic
Each half-hour episode contained a big explainer of a complicated issue. The list of topics sounds like the arcane scraps from the cutting-room floor of most newsrooms—the amount of hidden sugar in food, civil forfeiture, the false hopes of lotteries, the failure of the American government to safeguard people who served as interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan.—David Carr
David CarrInside, the issue contains a long explainer piece on how the subprime mess came to be and how it wreaked havoc on Citi, Wall Street and especially Merrill.—Yvette Kantrow
Yvette KantrowExamples of explainer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, Explained Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins.
—Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
Here’s a quick explainer for those who may see his name trending and in headlines again, but who might not have heard much about the Canadian pop icon for some time.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
People are loving your work, making explainer videos on socials, and shouting you out.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
So here’s a guide to the cardinals of the real-life conclave, written by someone who is not even Catholic but has read many, many, many, many, many explainers on the various cardinals and, just as important, seen Conclave three times.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
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Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
Here’s a quick explainer for those who may see his name trending and in headlines again, but who might not have heard much about the Canadian pop icon for some time.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
People are loving your work, making explainer videos on socials, and shouting you out.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
So here’s a guide to the cardinals of the real-life conclave, written by someone who is not even Catholic but has read many, many, many, many, many explainers on the various cardinals and, just as important, seen Conclave three times.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explainer
Cite this Entry
“Explainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explainer. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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