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
Given there were parent chaperones on the trip, students figured this would be hard to explain away, even for Green.
—
Air Mail, 3 May 2025
The tremors can be so muffled and distant that people continually adapt, explaining away the anomalies.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
However easy that is to explain away, that factoid remains kind of interesting.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Two are explained away, but that third set of DNA is revealed without much additional explanation.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
Until now.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Air Mail, 3 May 2025
The tremors can be so muffled and distant that people continually adapt, explaining away the anomalies.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
However easy that is to explain away, that factoid remains kind of interesting.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Two are explained away, but that third set of DNA is revealed without much additional explanation.
Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist
Until now.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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The woman explained the extensive interviewing process as well as her concerns with pursuing the opportunity on the community forum Mumsnet.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
13 July 2025
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Another royal source explained that layoffs were inevitable for the former royal family members.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
13 July 2025
Verb
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But the survey of 1,000 American adults, taken on June 10, also found that some excused or endorsed the violence against Jews.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
11 July 2025
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When a flight attendant noticed, Dali faked vomiting to excuse her lengthy time in the bathroom.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 July 2025
Verb
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If the Tripadvisor business was the company’s only segment, this valuation could be justified.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
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What event could possibly justify closing a major highway for days on end?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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