1
as in explaining
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 glossing (over)
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 explaining away
There was no explaining away a mistake like that.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining away
Verb
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Sokoloff continued the offensive, explaining that the controller is legally mandated to annually audit affordable housing programs but has failed to do so.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
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While some hospitals obtain informed consent before conducting drug or alcohol testing during pregnancy or after delivery, others perform these tests without patient consent or clearly explaining the purpose and potential consequences.—
Dr. Mattie Renn,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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After excusing herself briefly from the conversation, Patricia returns to find the other guests whispering to Shelby about Patricia’s history of dishonesty about almost being a Boogeyman victim.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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The Appeals Court affirmed his convictions Tuesday and denied his motion for a new trial, overruling claims that there were issues with the judge not excusing a juror for cause and the defense counsel was ineffective.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Pilgrims describe Hajj as a once-in-a-lifetime obligation that transcends politics, justifying high costs, logistical headaches and security fears.—
Mariam Fam,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
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Questions remain about how SpaceX is justifying its astronomical valuation.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining%20away. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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