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
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
The reasons for the Dodgers’ struggles are easy to explain away.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
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
The reasons for the Dodgers’ struggles are easy to explain away.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Each explained their reasons for bucking the president.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
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This sterile male technique, previously explained to Newsweek by Texas A&M Professor Phillip Kaufman, works because female screwworm flies mate only once—flooding areas with sterile males prevents successful reproduction.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Verb
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None of that, however, excuses the silly and juvenile behavior of the Assembly’s majority Democrats last week when the chamber took up a resolution commemorating Pride month.—
Mark Barabak,
Mercury News,
3 July 2025
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Students who cannot get to school and have bus stops are on a list provided by district officials can get absences excused Thursday and Friday.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Verb
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In our opinion, this favorable trend justifies an upward revision of its valuation multiple.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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The midfielder has arguably had to fight even harder to begin to justify the energy and expense required to bring him to Stamford Bridge two and a half years ago.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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