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
Verb
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These soils lie beyond a depth of three meters, or about 10 feet, explains Yi Xi, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Climate and Environmental Sciences in France.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026 -
Brandon Nimmo and Lugo were teammates with the Mets for years, by the way, which explains the immediate concern.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Because her beauty excuses all.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
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The Justice Department says Bondi’s ouster excuses her from having to appear.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
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Each new layer of ambition justifies a higher valuation, but the economics have not yet caught up with the narrative.—
Rory McDonald,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Explains away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains%20away. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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