Synonyms of explaining away

explaining away

verb

present participle of explain away

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explaining
• accounting (for)
• justifying
• rationalizing
• attributing
• condoning
• forgiving
• excusing
• exonerating
• absolving
• vindicating
• exculpating
• acquitting

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glossing (over)
• explaining
• excusing
• justifying
• glozing (over)
• accounting (for)
• extenuating
• deodorizing
• whitewashing
• palliating
• playing down
• minimizing
• confessing
• apologizing
• varnishing
• atoning
• alleviating
• rationalizing
• mitigating
• softening
• sugarcoating
• lightening
• moderating
• tempering
• lessening
• exculpating
• vindicating
• easing
• exonerating
• absolving
• acquitting
• soft-pedaling
• clearing

Example Sentences

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