explainer

noun

ex·​plain·​er ik-ˈsplā-nər How to pronounce explainer (audio)
plural explainers
: a person or thing that explains something: such as
a
: a person who makes something understandable
Modern day presidents must be good explainers of a complex world …Jonathan Alter et al.
b
: an article, podcast, graphic, etc., that explains something complex or not widely understood : an in-depth treatment of a topic
Each half-hour episode contained a big explainer of a complicated issue. The list of topics sounds like the arcane scraps from the cutting-room floor of most newsrooms—the amount of hidden sugar in food, civil forfeiture, the false hopes of lotteries, the failure of the American government to safeguard people who served as interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan.David Carr
Inside, the issue contains a long explainer piece on how the subprime mess came to be and how it wreaked havoc on Citi, Wall Street and especially Merrill.Yvette Kantrow

Examples of explainer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Though her initial video may have caused a divide, her explainers received support. Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025 This also really highlights a role that the vice president has taken on in the first 200 days of the administration, which is to be the president's explainer in chief of his economic policies. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025 And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone‘s critics and reporters. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2025 Read on for an explainer on how the game works and help with today’s three puzzles. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for explainer

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of explainer was in 1579

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Cite this Entry

“Explainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explainer. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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