EX PLAINS Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

explains

verb

present tense third-person singular of explain

as in illustrates

to make plain or understandable a pamphlet that explains the medical procedure in language that any layperson can understand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in justifies

to give the reason for or cause of can you explain your very odd behavior at the wedding reception?

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of explains There are a lot of caveats that education reporter Martha Dalton explains neatly for us. — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 22 July 2026 All of that perhaps explains why Rodgers, who grew up in an evangelical Christian environment, may have rejected his family for a time. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 The spread explains why a national average tells a local utility little about the capacity a specific project will require. — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The clever part is the phase-control system, which CorPower calls WaveSpring, and which explains the heart comparison. — New Atlas, 21 July 2026 After decades of traveling across Spain, one expert explains why Asturias stands out for its authenticity, protected landscapes, and exceptional local cuisine. — Nigel Hack, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2026 While sharing her Beauty Secrets with Vogue, the 20-year-old explains that the bittersweet ballad was inspired by a Japanese phrase that means, essentially, everything beautiful is temporary. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 July 2026 The director also explains the meaning of the subtitle of her film, Saved by the Beauty of the World, derived from words spoken by the poet. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026 But as Katie Wu, a science writer at The Atlantic, explains, that's not the whole story. — Berly McCoy, NPR, 14 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explains

Verb

The Howard episode dramatically illustrates two seemingly contradictory facts about the 10 private and 10 public schools honored on Forbes’ first-ever ranking of America’s Top HBCUs.

— Asia Alexander, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The backtracking illustrates how the politics of criminal justice have shifted since 2020, posing dilemmas for Democrats’ midterm strategy and their ability to enact their preferred solutions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026

Definition of illustrates

Verb

This can only reliably be achieved through a disciplined approach to governance that enables organizations not only to think big about AI, but to operationalize it in a way that justifies their efforts and investments.

— Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
All that cash keeps many of FIFA’s member federations running, and Infantino justifies his nonprofit’s relentless commercial pursuits on the basis that the proceeds go toward growing the game globally.

— Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Definition of justifies

Verb

The article clarifies that prohibiting a bonnet, a private hair covering, differs fundamentally from discriminating against natural Black hair.

— Tee Wilson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Despite Shai saying that Ava and Rowan encouraged him to tell Hudson about Ariana and Liam, Ava clarifies that that never happened.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 July 2026

Definition of clarifies

Verb

But since neo-Brandeisian thought rejects economics as a pseudo-science that rationalizes the desires of capital owners, that objection carries little weight.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026
But as another voter rationalizes, the sheer size of the ballot will do more harm than good in the long run.

— Devon Ivie, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of rationalizes

Verb

There’s another comparison between Homer and the Bible that demonstrates parallels between Jesus and Odysseus while asserting Jesus’ superiority,MacDonald says.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Through her writing, Bowser demonstrates her commitment to illuminating the untold, challenging perspectives and igniting conversations that resonate beyond the headlines.

— Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of demonstrates

Verb

The platform also simplifies the deployment of geoscience applications, allowing exploration teams spread across multiple locations to access the same computing environment without building specialized IT infrastructure.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
From Apps to an Agentic Operating System One of DroiClaw’s defining goals is to create an app-free, agentic OS that simplifies how people interact with their devices.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 July 2026