as in to explain
to give the reason for or cause of
could not account for the huge difference in price between the two practically identical handbags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for account (for)
explain
Verb
-
If a concept just doesn’t make sense, try explaining it out loud to a friend.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026 -
During the launch event, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu explained that solving charging anxiety is essential for wider EV adoption.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Account (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/account%20%28for%29. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
