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
But Ruff was clear that the injury situation doesn’t explain away what the Sabres looked like in the first three games.
—
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
One downside of Oza’s model, Kipping notes, is that any fluctuations in the levels of sulfur dioxide, sodium and potassium observed on WASP-39b can be easily explained away as variability in eruptions.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The idea sticks because the prize, limitless energy from tabletop hardware, is irresistible, and suppression narratives explain away the lack of mainstream acceptance.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
One downside of Oza’s model, Kipping notes, is that any fluctuations in the levels of sulfur dioxide, sodium and potassium observed on WASP-39b can be easily explained away as variability in eruptions.
—Nola Taylor Tillman, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2025
Maybe the nuns could be transformed into spa therapists at a wellness retreat and the toxin explained away as a surfeit of matcha.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The idea sticks because the prize, limitless energy from tabletop hardware, is irresistible, and suppression narratives explain away the lack of mainstream acceptance.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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The suit prompted the restaurant to update language on its bill to explain that the service fee was not the same as a gratuity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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In general, the hospital has always instructed its providers not to make comments or notes about a patient’s immigration status on notes or other materials that can be accessed, the doctor explained.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One can be excused for wondering why the Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently beaten accusations of near-death since its inception in 1979.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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The rep excuses herself; in the hallway, Stephen congratulates Lucy.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Conspicuous logos and seasonal hype no longer justify their price or promise.—
Yiling Pan,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
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Additionally, hyperscalers, including Amazon , Microsoft , Meta , and Alphabet , announced capital expenditure of up to $700 billion on AI this year, which has raised concerns over returns and whether the extent of AI spend is justified.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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