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explains away

verb

present tense third-person singular of explain away
1
as in explains
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

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2
as in excuses
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explains away
  1. explains
  2. excuses
  3. justifies
Verb
  • By comparison, strong fluid flows elongated the cells and caused DNA damage, a crucial control detail that explains why past experiments might have yielded misleading results.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But New York always had allure, the Midwest native author explains to PEOPLE.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • None of that excuses his behavior, but a change of brain function, rather than a change of heart, is something his constituents need to consider.
    — Michael P.H. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Any person who celebrates, encourages, or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of excuses
Verb
  • And for four consecutive games, the running back unit has proved it more than justifies the hype.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the goodness of the final product justifies the effort.
    — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of justifies
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.

Browse Nearby Words

explains
explains away
explanation
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Cite this Entry

“Explains away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains%20away. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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