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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Elena witnessed the argument and tried explaining to Moshe their concerns about previous squatters in the building.—
Olivia Bensimon,
Curbed,
17 June 2026
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In November, Rashada posted a tutorial video to his Instagram account explaining the claims-buying process, which led to a flood of referrals over next several months.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Without excusing her actions, Harron’s film explores Solanis’ place as a misfit even within the outsider world of the 1960s NYC underground art scene.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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No one is excusing Austin Metcalf’s murder.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The earnings expectations that break the map Even before the dispersion data crystallized, Lamont was growing uneasy about the earnings story justifying valuations.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
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But Adraee has been accused of justifying the killing of some journalists.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explaining away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining%20away. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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