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
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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 organization explained that the shelter avoids labeling dogs by breed to help reduce breed bias, which can negatively affect adoption rates, especially for pit bull-type mixes.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Wang explained that integrating thermal management directly into the battery reduces space, power consumption, and maintenance needs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The fumble, of course, cannot be excused, but Henderson's development is essential to the Patriots fulfilling the best version of their offense.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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After Politico reported that Young Republicans expressed outrageously racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic sentiments, Vice President JD Vance excused it as just the edgy chat of young activists.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Morgan felt uneasy but also justified.—
Kaleb Demerew,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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My grief and my truth is justified.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explained away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explained%20away. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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