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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explained away
Verb
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For those viewers questioning why Kendra Licari virtually harassed her own daughter, the answer is not made entirely clear in the documentary, Borgman explained in the interview.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025 -
Courtney Crown, senior media specialist at the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), explained there are no penalties in place for school districts that fail to report employee injury data.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, a few days later, he was excused from practice while the front office worked out his future.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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The town excused the ticket after the DMV confirmed there was a Kia with a 145 tag — a legislative plate.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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An investigation found that the officer's shooting was justified.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
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Although its valuation of 10x trailing revenue looks steep, it is justified by the company’s track record.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Explained away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explained%20away. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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