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
Relevance
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
-
But of course, the fact that Bezos’s message meant anything partisan at all explains the problem for the rest of the progressive press.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025 -
This explains why knowledge of the structure of the Oort cloud has eluded scientists until now.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
While this initiative aims to reward family formation, DOT also justifies its stance by saying projects will go to areas with rising populations, which presumably would need them in years to come.—
Haisten Willis,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
10 Mar. 2025
-
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, has condemned the United States for deploying an aircraft carrier to South Korea, calling the move a provocative act that justifies its nuclear program.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Explains away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains%20away. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share