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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Recent Examples of explain away
The quarterback attempted to explain away the situation after the fact.
—
Vincent Frank, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Will explains away all of the suspicious pieces of evidence pointing in his direction.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
In their universe, Trump was waging a secret war against the deep state, and no matter what happened in the real world—like Trump losing the 2020 election, or being found guilty in court—it was always explained away as being part of the plan.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 14 Aug. 2024
This time, even Riley knew there was no sense in trying to explain away how close his Trojans had come.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Vincent Frank, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Will explains away all of the suspicious pieces of evidence pointing in his direction.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
In their universe, Trump was waging a secret war against the deep state, and no matter what happened in the real world—like Trump losing the 2020 election, or being found guilty in court—it was always explained away as being part of the plan.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 14 Aug. 2024
This time, even Riley knew there was no sense in trying to explain away how close his Trojans had come.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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The largest white droppings belonged to the seagulls — black-headed laughing gulls and white-headed herring gulls — McKenzie explained.CNN.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Last month, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, explained his priority is to arrest and remove criminals who pose the greatest danger to Americans, The Center Square reported.Bethany Blankley | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The Baltimore Ravens excused wide receiver Diontae Johnson from team activities this week.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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This isn’t to suggest that Say Nothing should have endorsed or excused the PIRA’s retaliatory actions.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The film, led by Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp, cost roughly $50 million to produce and will rely on staying power through the holidays to justify its budget.Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 Dec. 2024
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What Happens Next Despite the drop, the interplay between consumer confidence, spending and economic policy will shape the coming months, and the early days of Trump's presidency will likely play a pivotal role in determining whether previous upbeat expectations are justified.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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