1
as in to explain
to give the reason for or cause of
after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of explain away
Yet many lawmakers are quick to dismiss or explain away the number, arguing the tax cuts will ultimately help the economy and, subsequently, revenue for the government.
—
Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
This opaqueness isn’t a flaw — if anything, more movies should resist explaining away the mysteries, however small, of their characters.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
This season, injuries explained away the rough start.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Vibes are still bad with this team, where Sunday, owner Woody Johnson left the interim staff to explain away an awful year.
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
This opaqueness isn’t a flaw — if anything, more movies should resist explaining away the mysteries, however small, of their characters.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
This season, injuries explained away the rough start.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Vibes are still bad with this team, where Sunday, owner Woody Johnson left the interim staff to explain away an awful year.
—Chris Branch, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
-
About 45 minutes later, the Charlotte native explained his mistake to the media — one that negated a Tar Heel comeback from 24 points down in the second half.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The United States Department of Justice revealed the arrest on May 13, 2020, explaining that Fayne, who also goes by the name Arkansas Mo, had been arrested on federal bank fraud charges arising from a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.—
Diane J. Cho,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
A lot of students were aspiring actors: One week three people in my class were excused early to audition for the same Nickelodeon TV show.—
Mara Wilson,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Teachers who object for reasons of religion or conscience can be excused and replaced with a substitute reader.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Many are wondering how this happened and how it can possibly be justified.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Hamas and Hezbollah indoctrinate hatred to justify its attacks on Jewish civilians, including woman [sic], children and the elderly.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share