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
These digital artifacts create a detailed record of human activity and movement that’s difficult to falsify or explain away.
—
Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But poor casting was only half of it — Charles Walters' 1955 adaptation unfortunately reimagines the heroine as an irascible antisocial brat with delusions of grandeur, all explained away by bizarre contemporary psychoanalysis provided in voice-over.
—EW.com, 4 Mar. 2025
To make matters worse, meteorologists are increasingly dealing with hostility and threats simply for making forecasts or explaining away wacky conspiracy theories.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
But over time, many have raised their standards and grown more critical, while others have become experts at explaining away silence to secure 30 more minutes of guilt-free listening to a new release from their favorite artist.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
But poor casting was only half of it — Charles Walters' 1955 adaptation unfortunately reimagines the heroine as an irascible antisocial brat with delusions of grandeur, all explained away by bizarre contemporary psychoanalysis provided in voice-over.
—EW.com, 4 Mar. 2025
To make matters worse, meteorologists are increasingly dealing with hostility and threats simply for making forecasts or explaining away wacky conspiracy theories.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
But over time, many have raised their standards and grown more critical, while others have become experts at explaining away silence to secure 30 more minutes of guilt-free listening to a new release from their favorite artist.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
-
The reason for the independence, the Brookings Institution explains, is that politicians tend to want lower interest rates because lower rates stimulate the economy.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
-
If yes, please explain: Only at the misdemeanor level.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The myth that trans women are a danger to cis women is a grossly transphobic stereotype with almost no real-world justification, but Rowling pins most of her anti-trans arguments on it, using her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse to justify her prejudice.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
18 Apr. 2025
-
As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.—
Hannah Wiseman,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share