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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Examples of explain away in a Sentence
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Two losses to open the 2024-25 campaign could mostly be explained away by a pair of rough goaltending performances.
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Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024
The final section of Wilder’s play – the three acts are performed without an intermission in this production, with Parson’s Stage Manager having some fun explaining away any confusion – is one of American drama’s most foolproof scenes, and Leon and his cast pull it off nicely.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
There, unlike on television, his fragmented attention, peculiar thinking, and dangerous words cannot hide or be explained away.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
Prosecutors also said the children had been in and out of the hospital for various reasons, including bruising, bleach burns and possible internal bleeding − symptoms that were all explained away by their adoptive parents.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024
The final section of Wilder’s play – the three acts are performed without an intermission in this production, with Parson’s Stage Manager having some fun explaining away any confusion – is one of American drama’s most foolproof scenes, and Leon and his cast pull it off nicely.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
There, unlike on television, his fragmented attention, peculiar thinking, and dangerous words cannot hide or be explained away.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
Prosecutors also said the children had been in and out of the hospital for various reasons, including bruising, bleach burns and possible internal bleeding − symptoms that were all explained away by their adoptive parents.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Elena Ferrante explains that the earthquake was an exterior thing.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Abramovitch explained how Swift could have been an exception to this rule because her career in both country and pop music gives her fans on both sides of the American political divide.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Next Gala: Sabrina Carpenter Performs, Laufey Wants to Collaborate With Reneé Rapp Justin asks to be excused, but is selected anyway, rounding out a dozen folks who’d rather be doing anything other than their civic duty.Peter Debruge, Variety, 28 Oct. 2024
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After almost an hour with his son – later identified by family as 4-month-old Grayson – prosecutors say Turner excused himself to the bathroom, returning with a gun.Emily Palmer, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Traders have been betting for months that a Trump victory could enhance the value of Truth Social — though justifying its current price tag would be very difficult even if Trump is back in the White House.Matt Egan, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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And, before beginning, there’s often a need to justify the investment internally.Andrea Wasserman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near explain away
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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