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
At the time, the signs felt easy to explain away.
—
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Some enforcement agents explain away their disappointment at such an escape with a you-can’t-win-’em-all shrug.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The conversations were often brief and fragmented, shaped by years of pain that had already been normalized or explained away.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Despite the show's efforts to explain away a TARDIS's functionality with black holes and the Time Vortex, its abilities are best regarded as magic.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Some enforcement agents explain away their disappointment at such an escape with a you-can’t-win-’em-all shrug.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The conversations were often brief and fragmented, shaped by years of pain that had already been normalized or explained away.
—Sarah Berg, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Despite the show's efforts to explain away a TARDIS's functionality with black holes and the Time Vortex, its abilities are best regarded as magic.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Burke explained, however, the homes may be isolated by water covering the road.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Davis explained that gas taxes aren't like a sales tax — suspending them won't directly pass all of the savings to the consumer.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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No staff member is obligated to participate, nor are staff excused from normal duty for the purposes of their own participation.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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More than 80 people have already requested to be excused from the case, according to the Associated Press, with no jurors picked on the first day of proceedings.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Our expert take The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
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For the Fed to cut, adding more liquidity to the economy while prices are already elevated would be highly unusual—but might be justified if another element of the Fed’s mandate demanded it.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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