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
Through his TikTok channel, Falcone excels at the art of the two-minute explainer, tackling frauds big (AI) and small (white chocolate).
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
The flood of online investing videos and explainers have also given younger investors more confidence taking risk.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
The resulting campaign — three explainers delving into the tech behind processor speed and battery life — reached a receptive audience offline at physical retail locations and on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, well exceeding our goals for reach and driving a hyper efficient cost-per-click.
—Cole Mason, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025
The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld’s explainer on the case There’s a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap in the works:
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a prisoner swap, according to a top Russian diplomat.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 27 May 2025
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Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 7 June 2025
The flood of online investing videos and explainers have also given younger investors more confidence taking risk.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
The resulting campaign — three explainers delving into the tech behind processor speed and battery life — reached a receptive audience offline at physical retail locations and on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, well exceeding our goals for reach and driving a hyper efficient cost-per-click.
—Cole Mason, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025
The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld’s explainer on the case There’s a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap in the works:
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a prisoner swap, according to a top Russian diplomat.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 27 May 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 14 Jun. 2025.
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