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
Gianni Infantino tried to defend FIFA’s World Cup ticket prices by explaining American sports to Americans.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Berry later apologized by email to Crocker, Cal-OSHA’s Sacramento District Manager, explaining that an arson and bomb investigator for Cal Fire, Gershom Slonim, had told Voller not to grant the interview.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
The model worked a treat, with JWST's observations not only explaining the TOI-1130 system, but possibly all mini-Neptunes that are found close to their star.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 May 2026
But Brockman mostly maintained composure while explaining why his journals shouldn’t be viewed as a smoking gun proving that Musk was defrauded.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2026
What leaders are responsible for is having difficult conversations, setting boundaries, explaining their decisions, and protecting their people’s time and energy from meaningless suffering.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
At each stop, a contingent of no more than 10 workers and organizers broke from the group, walked inside and pitched whoever was in charge on Planting Justice, explaining what the working conditions are like at the nurseries that supply the retailers’ plants.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
When explaining this sequence post-race, Stella thought his driver was powerless.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 4 May 2026
The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Berry later apologized by email to Crocker, Cal-OSHA’s Sacramento District Manager, explaining that an arson and bomb investigator for Cal Fire, Gershom Slonim, had told Voller not to grant the interview.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
The model worked a treat, with JWST's observations not only explaining the TOI-1130 system, but possibly all mini-Neptunes that are found close to their star.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 May 2026
But Brockman mostly maintained composure while explaining why his journals shouldn’t be viewed as a smoking gun proving that Musk was defrauded.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 May 2026
What leaders are responsible for is having difficult conversations, setting boundaries, explaining their decisions, and protecting their people’s time and energy from meaningless suffering.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
At each stop, a contingent of no more than 10 workers and organizers broke from the group, walked inside and pitched whoever was in charge on Planting Justice, explaining what the working conditions are like at the nurseries that supply the retailers’ plants.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
When explaining this sequence post-race, Stella thought his driver was powerless.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 4 May 2026
The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining
Verb
-
Ask one clarifying question today, then respond with intention so the conversation leads somewhere useful.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
At Judges’ Table itself, a winner isn’t immediately identified; instead, the judges ask the teams a few clarifying questions and share what takeout diners thought.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Military technology has become more sophisticated, but the minds justifying its use are stuck in the past.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
European officials had welcomed Ukraine's unilateral move as a goodwill gesture illustrating its readiness for a peace settlement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
Touching the Art also delves into erasure and gaslighting, illustrating the all-too-common silencing that occurs when a family member speaks up about violence or abuse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of obsessively over-rationalizing or avoiding, try making friends with that feeling.—
Goth Shakira
Contributing,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
While rationalizing deception is easy to do, developing the virtue of truthfulness is not.—
Katherine Moses,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Federal prosecutors said while many people were peacefully demonstrating against immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County last summer, some people sought to use violence to obstruct, impede or injure officers conducting the enforcement operations.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Facing this new urgency, NASA officials are eager to transition from demonstrating reliable lunar landers to delivering tangible infrastructure to the Moon’s surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Jets tried to downplay the significance of Hellebuyck’s words, attributing them to normal emotions that follow a playoffs miss.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Ross defended the decision, pointing to the budget gap and attributing part of the shortfall to the Tarrant Appraisal District delaying new home assessments until next year.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The contracts are under $250,000 and require MnDOT to seek just two quotes, simplifying the normal competitive bidding process that might otherwise shut out many small shops.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Toyota pulled that off by simplifying the structure and reducing the number of axles.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When interpreting known brands, his first mission is authenticity.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This long-term evolution culminated in the training of an algorithm capable of accurately interpreting and recognizing complex patterns of electrical pulses within the system.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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