explain away

verb

explained away; explaining away; explains away

transitive verb

1
: to get rid of by or as if by explanation
2
: to minimize the significance of by or as if by explanation
explains his faults, but does not try to explain them awayM. K. Spears

Examples of explain away in a Sentence

after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tremors can be so muffled and distant that people continually adapt, explaining away the anomalies. Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 However easy that is to explain away, that factoid remains kind of interesting. Clem Chambers, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 Two are explained away, but that third set of DNA is revealed without much additional explanation. Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist Until now. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025 The reasons for the Dodgers’ struggles are easy to explain away. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for explain away

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of explain away was in 1688

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Cite this Entry

“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explain%20away. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

explain away

verb
: to cause to seem less important by explaining
explained away her mistake
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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