How to Use explanation in a Sentence

explanation

noun
  • The professor's explanation was that the poem is really a parody.
  • The first explanation holds that the cascade is in the eye of the beholder.
    Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
  • There was no explanation from the team on why Jansen was out of a job.
    The Indianapolis Star, 18 Nov. 2022
  • For a full explanation of the Schofield saga, click here.
    K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
  • The lab explanation did note that the IOM's cutoff was 20.
    Christie Aschwanden, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023
  • In the middle of a long, complex explanation on a Rashi on the parshah, the Rebbe paused and searched the crowd.
    Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
  • But it was pulled at the last minute with no explanation.
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 30 Apr. 2023
  • In the comments, many people urged the bride to reach out to her friend in search of an explanation.
    Erin Clack, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
  • With that in mind, here’s a look at why the league altered the kickoff rule, an explanation of it and what else to know.
    Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2024
  • His explanation of his role on the final play, a second straight stand at the 1-yard line?
    Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2022
  • The explanation, as laid out by Sheets, will give you a migraine.
    Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2022
  • Bayne says she got paid to teach right away, with no explanation.
    Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2022
  • The lower the concentration of Jews in an area, the longer the explanations.
    David Harsanyi, National Review, 27 Apr. 2023
  • The shorter explanation is simply that the crystals look cool… up to a point.
    Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2023
  • The lack of explanation left us a bit mystified by most of the courses.
    Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Their pride hurt, the twins look for a gendered explanation.
    Jennifer Wilson, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
  • And there is a honking good explanation: All their geese are dead.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 19 July 2024
  • The explanation for these rulings is not to be found in anything in the law; it can only be explained by who is on the Supreme Court.
    Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 5 July 2024
  • Palmer cuts in and presses Devin for a little more of an explanation.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024
  • But if that’s true, what is the explanation for every single woman who graces the YWLS stage?
    Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
  • One explanation is that initial jobless claims tend to be volatile from week to week.
    Akane Otani, WSJ, 10 June 2023
  • Gibson heard one explanation, a tale as old as the South: a Black boy said something to a white girl, which angered her boyfriend.
    Robert Samuels, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
  • All the ups and downs and periods of mania had an explanation.
    Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
  • Still, the defensive drop-off over the first two-plus months of the season defied explanation.
    Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Reich’s explanation for avoiding the use of Hines at receiver boiled down to a lack of time to adjust the role.
    The Indianapolis Star, 19 Sep. 2022
  • The first, and perhaps most obvious, explanation, is that in the wild there may not be any other help.
    Tom Vanderbilt, Outside Online, 22 Dec. 2022
  • Four days after the shooting, Tex had an explanation in a statement made through a spokesman.
    Maureen Maher, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2024
  • As for why Gere raised his middle finger in the first place, the actor was quick to offer an explanation.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Many viewers of the talk show raised concerns after the 42-year-old singer missed a taping earlier this month with very little notice and no explanation.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Legal experts are divided on whether this is in bounds, but rather than keep the fight in the courts, Trump pals seem more than eager to throw multiple explanations into the ether to see which seems to gain the most traction.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'explanation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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