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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Recent Examples of explained away
Now, could it be maybe explained away?
—
Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
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
Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explained away
Verb
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Labeled Hoard 1 and Hoard 2, archaeologists explained that Hoard 1 held the largest collection of copper alloy and iron metalwork, while 88 items were found in Hoard 2.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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Poplawski explained how there are also unknown processes that violate the balance between a family of particles called baryons and their antimatter counterparts, the antibaryons.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For example, Jewish women are excused from requirements such as fasting on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, in order to prevent any potential harm to themselves or their fetus.—
Cara Berg Raunick,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
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And, no, the controversial coach won’t likely be excused from his post anytime soon.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Neither of the two officers who did shoot Taylor was charged, after prosecutors deemed they were justified in returning fire into the apartment.—
DYLAN LOVAN,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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That undermines the user-pays principle that originally justified the gas tax.—
Louis Sigaud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explained away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explained%20away. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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