explained away; explaining away; explains away
Definition of explain away
1
: to get rid of by or as if by explanation
2
: to minimize the significance of by or as if by explanation
explains his faults, but does not try to explain them away— M. K. Spears
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about explain away
Dictionary Entries near explain away
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for explain away
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explain%20away. Accessed 6 May. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Comments on explain away
What made you want to look up explain away? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Star Wars Words Quiz
-
- The bounty portion of bounty hunters (such as Boba Fett) comes from a Latin word meaning
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share explain away
Time Traveler for explain away
The first known use of explain away was in 1688
See more words from the same year