1
as in clarifying
to make plain or understandable
a pamphlet that explains the medical procedure in language that any layperson can understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
to give the reason for or cause of
can you explain your very odd behavior at the wedding reception?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explaining
After serving a fragrant tempura of shiitake, Murai unexpectedly pulled out a bottle of Domaine Takahiko Pinot Noir, explaining apologetically that the winemaker permits him to pair it only with the umami-rich mushroom course.
—
Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Persons-Mulicka responded by explaining what her bill would do, but not why.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
The three actors spend the bulk of their time explaining how things went down in real time, as opposed to rattling off high and low lights.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Adam King, who founded 1587 Sneakers with Sam Hyun and Jose Antonio Vargas, released a statement Monday explaining the lawsuit.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Trump has twice threatened to impose a 100% tariff on films made abroad, without explaining how that would work or what legal authority would allow it.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
His approach to explaining his rationale to the American public might also be vague.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
His tasks included explaining the details of the Fourth Amendment and other legalities regarding searches and seizures in American homes.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Lipinski and Johnny Weir are great explaining things during the skating and Scott Hamilton is perfect as the in-studio analyst.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Alex Halberstadt, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Persons-Mulicka responded by explaining what her bill would do, but not why.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
The three actors spend the bulk of their time explaining how things went down in real time, as opposed to rattling off high and low lights.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Adam King, who founded 1587 Sneakers with Sam Hyun and Jose Antonio Vargas, released a statement Monday explaining the lawsuit.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026
Trump has twice threatened to impose a 100% tariff on films made abroad, without explaining how that would work or what legal authority would allow it.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 24 Feb. 2026
His approach to explaining his rationale to the American public might also be vague.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
His tasks included explaining the details of the Fourth Amendment and other legalities regarding searches and seizures in American homes.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
Lipinski and Johnny Weir are great explaining things during the skating and Scott Hamilton is perfect as the in-studio analyst.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining
Verb
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While the moody Moon blurs with powerful Pluto in your 10th House of Career, clarifying your role and long-term direction may be difficult.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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Republicans framed the bathroom and driver’s license bill as an addendum clarifying the intent of a separate 2023 bill barring trans women from accessing female-only spaces.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bank of America analyst Michael Feniger last week raised his price forecast to $825 from $735, justifying a higher multiple as turbine demand broadens out.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
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But insurance companies have many ways to hide cash while justifying higher rates.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yet Paramount and Disney have both sent cease-and-desist letters to TikTok owner and AI company ByteDance over intellectual property Infringement by AI platforms and services in the last few weeks, illustrating the industry’s ebb and flow with the fast-changing technology.—
William Earl,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
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The first issue of Odin will feature variant covers by comic and album artist Alex Eckman-Lawn (Swan Songs), who is illustrating the main Cover A for the full series.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If there were a Mensa society for rationalizing one’s own shitty behavior, Pippa would be its president.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
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Aeffe is rationalizing its retail network and earlier this month the board approved the early termination of the rental contract signed with two real estate firms, Colloportus and FQuattro, respectively controlled by designer Alberta Ferretti and her brother, executive chairman Massimo Ferretti.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While its romanticized view of the past may not be for everyone, the series excels in demonstrating da Vinci's boundless creativity, channeled through Tom Riley's cheeky, charismatic performance that brings the artist into the 21st century.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
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As California is amply demonstrating with the hasty exits of many of its billionaires in the face of a potential state tax on their unrealized paper wealth, taxing the rich (at least by itself) is no panacea.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What This Season Tells Us Scientists remain rightly cautious about attributing any single event to climate change.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
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Schmidt used more colorful language to describe Pack, attributing the schism to personality.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Happily, Barefoot has developed the new Bothy model to roll pricing back in time while simplifying the layout into a lighter, more spacious offering.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
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The bills closely align with the Housing Alliance’s founding goals, namely cutting regulation and simplifying the building process, Rabe told the Idaho Statesman in December.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The debate highlighted the complexities of interpreting statutory language and its implications for international law and foreign policy.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
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The method gives researchers a new analytical lens for interpreting physical artifacts, one that combines computational power with the knowledge of human experts.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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