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
  • Erin goes over to talk to Jessel, who explains what is going on.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • As Katia Schörle, one of the experts featured in the film, explains, wild animals embodied a world that was both magnificent and terrifying.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of explains
Verb
  • Any person who celebrates, encourages, or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For me, the larger question is not whether artistic behavior excuses transgression, but how to hold artistic achievement and ethical accountability together without allowing one to erase the other.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of excuses
Verb
  • The overall experience more than justifies the 15-minute ferry ride from the mainland.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And because of the scheduling changes cited above, the number of games no longer justifies the cost.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 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.

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explains
explains away
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Cite this Entry

“Explains away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains%20away. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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