1
as in illustrates
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 justifies
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 explains
That distinction naturally explains why Saturn's rings are composed almost entirely of water ice, with very little rock, the study notes.
—
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Fig, meanwhile, has drunk the Kool-Aid entirely, Shipp explains.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Mangroves are also stressed by pollution and rising sea levels, Bhargava Gajre explains.
—Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
No single development explains the trend.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
As TurboTax explains, traditional IRA contributions are usually made with after-tax dollars.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
And while mice are not humans, the biology the team has identified is highly conserved across animals, Naik explains, and this suggests the finding may have some applicability to humans.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
This is where the real magic will happen, the Navy explains.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Fig, meanwhile, has drunk the Kool-Aid entirely, Shipp explains.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Mangroves are also stressed by pollution and rising sea levels, Bhargava Gajre explains.
—Ryan Kellman, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
No single development explains the trend.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
This inversion explains a host of baffling political and cultural phenomena of late.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
As TurboTax explains, traditional IRA contributions are usually made with after-tax dollars.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
And while mice are not humans, the biology the team has identified is highly conserved across animals, Naik explains, and this suggests the finding may have some applicability to humans.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
This is where the real magic will happen, the Navy explains.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explains
Verb
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The phenomenon illustrates how misinformation can multiply after a viral moment, spreading what can seem to be harmless narratives that are made harder to verify in the age of AI.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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As my diagnostic experience illustrates, many of us are told that memory changes are normal aging and that pushing for answers is unnecessary.—
Shon Lowe,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This justifies using the average premium SVOD churn rate, even though Paramount+ has traditionally fallen short of it.—
Andrew Root,
Sportico.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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The constraint, Dolci says, is not audience demand – the performance of existing screens more than justifies expansion – but the availability of suitable sites.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Trimmer understands that a strategic delay is not procrastination, but a patient wait until the situation clarifies itself.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The plan approved Tuesday clarifies that the school board can consider two renamings in one year, up from the previous guidance of limiting renamings to one per year, Bagula said.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as another voter rationalizes, the sheer size of the ballot will do more harm than good in the long run.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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True crime, as a genre, rationalizes its exploitations—people’s tragedies and traumas, recast for popular consumption—by couching the sensationalism in considerations of justice.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their willingness to adapt demonstrates forward-thinking leadership from BORA.—
Ian Cohen,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Simpson’s paradox demonstrates how counterintuitive statistics can be This article is from Proof Positive, our friendly newsletter that explores the joys and peculiarities of math.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This practice simplifies decision-making and reduces clutter.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
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Building on the past decade of work by the sustainable farming organization, the next step expands OCA’s impact areas simplifies participation for brands and retailers and increases global supply through new partnerships.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The result is a sandwich that illuminates, a sandwich that delights, a sandwich that redefines the Italian combo as a structure, a set of relationships, a formula that admits many solutions.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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And perhaps this whole saga illuminates another reason why voters prefer to make young hunks wait until their late 30s, as Jordan did, to get their Oscar — to teach them humility.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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