1
as in explained
to give the reason for or cause of
after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in excused
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 explained away
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explained away
Verb
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The Athletic recently explained UEFA’s primary two financial regulations — the football-earnings rule and the squad-cost rule.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Bhavya Lal, a Professor of Policy Analysis with RAND School of Public Policy and a former NASA associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy, explained in an interview with SpaceNews.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Plumlee, who had been excused from Monday’s media day activities for personal reasons, has continued to be absent from practice this week and hasn’t spoken about his second tour of duty with Charlotte yet.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
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Fans could be excused if the finish felt like déjà vu.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Those numbers do not include killings that CMPD found to be justified self-defense.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
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The justices will weigh whether Louisiana’s 2024 redistricting plan, which added a second majority-Black district, violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause or is justified under the Voting Rights Act.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explained away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explained%20away. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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