EXPLAINING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

explaining

verb

present participle of explain

as in clarifying

to make plain or understandable a pamphlet that explains the medical procedure in language that any layperson can understand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of explaining There’s also something of the uncomfortable social observation of Ruben Östlund, Bong Joon Ho or Yorgos Lanthimos, and the freedom of filmmakers who allow situations to become absurd without explaining the joke. — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Focus on what is actually worth protecting, spending, or explaining. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026 But carrying that burden forward with nothing more than hope to balance it, passing it on to future generations, explaining it to strangers, is too much. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 The other catches people explaining why, at least for now, that work has stopped. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 Case in point, Popular creator Snarly Carly shared a video explaining this phenomenon in TikTok parlance. — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026 The rich collections do a great job of honoring visual traditions and explaining their connections to real people and real places. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026 China’s leading firms are still just approaching top US labs in capabilities, partly explaining their lack of transparency. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Damian pointed to that lack of disclosure in explaining her sentence. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining

Verb

Before meeting with a patient advocate, identify your main objectives – for example, preparing for a transition home, clarifying a treatment plan or understanding medication changes.

— Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
In November 2025, South Korea proposed talks on clarifying the borderline, but North Korea didn’t respond.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of clarifying

Verb

But its rebound Thursday helped offset weakness in the AI trade, illustrating how different parts of the market can perform well at different times.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Chinese media also reported that participating forces were stationed underground during the exercise to protect them from drone attacks, illustrating how persistent aerial surveillance and strike drones are changing battlefield operations.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of illustrating

Verb

Tiffany Hayes added 21 points off the bench, demonstrating how Golden State can find scoring help beyond its starters.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
However, demonstrating entanglement across 13 qubits is not the same as building a practical, large-scale quantum computer.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of demonstrating

Verb

Officials at the meeting discussed the rise in yields, attributing them to expectations for higher rates from the Fed as well as the build-out in artificial intelligence and solid economic growth.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
In contrast, only two out of 10 consumers have ever used a repair service offered by a fashion brand, a new report said, largely attributing this to the industry’s lack of consistent, active communication that such option actually exists.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of attributing

Verb

External consultants have helped redesign how the bank encourages people to disclose, simplifying the process and building trust that the information won’t be used against them.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Boards are simplifying their portfolios, and private equity has capital that needs a home.

— Sami Nomair, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of simplifying

Verb

The challenge is how and where to find high-quality research studies to derive interval likelihood ratios when electronic health records display only binary cutoffs as aids to interpreting test result values.

— Amiran Baduashvili, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Provincial governments, adept at interpreting and carrying out the central leadership’s priorities, have responded rapidly.

— Scott Singer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026