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
  • As well as hearing the audio of the Princess, the three-part doc series explains how and when they were recorded, and the extraordinary lengths Diana went to in order to ensure her story could be heard.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As Madison explains, picking her first post-Oscar gig definitely stressed her out, but her desire to grow her career and range (a la Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert) helped push her to take on the project.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 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
  • In instances like these, and there are many of them, one realizes how the novel acquires, and justifies, its title.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 8 Oct. 2026.

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