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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explain away
But sightings like the gimbal are a lot harder to explain away—a point proven by another UAP incident known colloquially as the Tic Tac.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
His monstrous deeds are either omitted, explained away, or copied uncritically from official Soviet narratives.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
His monstrous deeds are either omitted, explained away, or copied uncritically from official Soviet narratives.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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This is something Jordan has previously pointed out, explaining that teens can simply sign up for platforms with a false birthdate.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
8 Apr. 2025
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And as one Redditor explained, Quito is a great option.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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The 2025 Masters is here, and more than Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will be on display this week at Augusta National Golf Club for all the fans — excuse us, patrons — to bear witness to.—
Hugh Kellenberger,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The law was originally justified as helping to ensure worker safety on the job, prior to the establishment of federal and state labor protections.—
John Faso,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2025
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High-stakes use cases might justify a premium model, while simpler tasks could be served by more affordable options.—
Roman Vorel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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