1
as in interpretations
a statement that makes something clear
an explanation of photosynthesis that most museum visitors will be able to understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in reasons
a statement given to explain a belief or act
when questioned by authorities, the students were at a loss for an explanation for their senseless vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explanations
Without literal explanations, readers must pay close attention to Smith’s artwork in each panel to follow Weapon X’s story.
—
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
The repo man’s job is not to accept the handoff of a phone, or to engage explanations.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
While several possible explanations for the Galactic Center Excess have been put forward, including a population of rapidly spinning neutron stars called pulsars, one of the most prevalent has been a specific type of dark matter particle.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 June 2026
There's a lot of explanations for it.
—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
Park and her colleagues ruled out several possible explanations, including an undersea landslide and slow fault movement.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
Critics of Knight have pointed to his average in-ring skills, though that can be debated, or WWE’s crowded roster as possible explanations for his lack of a true world title push.
—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
The great hiring slowdown of 2025 had a few possible explanations.
—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
There are nuanced explanations available which acknowledge injury, regression and Ehlers’ departure.
—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
The repo man’s job is not to accept the handoff of a phone, or to engage explanations.
—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
While several possible explanations for the Galactic Center Excess have been put forward, including a population of rapidly spinning neutron stars called pulsars, one of the most prevalent has been a specific type of dark matter particle.
—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
21 June 2026
There's a lot of explanations for it.
—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
19 June 2026
Park and her colleagues ruled out several possible explanations, including an undersea landslide and slow fault movement.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
Critics of Knight have pointed to his average in-ring skills, though that can be debated, or WWE’s crowded roster as possible explanations for his lack of a true world title push.
—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
The great hiring slowdown of 2025 had a few possible explanations.
—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
There are nuanced explanations available which acknowledge injury, regression and Ehlers’ departure.
—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explanations
Noun
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Teams leave with different interpretations, unclear priorities and competing assumptions about what matters most.
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There are family recipes, alongside modern interpretations of Thai food.
Noun
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Both Kurtz and Langeliers cited workload and the need for rest during the long Major League Baseball season as reasons for their lack of interest.
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Many areas have been exempted for a variety of reasons, including lots in hillside fire zones and lots in Historic Protection Overlay Zones.
Noun
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The South Beach school’s 1975-‘76 yearbook was a patriotic red, white and blue and illustrations of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and the American Eagle.
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Schematics, facility maps, aerial photographs, engineering drawings, cutaway illustrations, and previously unfamiliar archival images reveal the extraordinary complexity of the undertaking.
Noun
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Trump had campaigned on restricting birthright citizenship, arguing that the citizenship clause had been misinterpreted, and attended the April 2026 oral arguments in a first for a sitting president.
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Now, after oral arguments in January, the laws will be protected.
Noun
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Finally, Corbin has to apologize to Kenzie and KC has to apologize to Aniya — deciding which of these apologies goes better depends on your point of view.
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In court, Donaldson claimed that those apologies referenced not abuse, but unrelated matters.
Noun
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Its role is to expose wrongdoing, illuminate facts, and draw the world’s attention to crimes committed in the name of false causes and manufactured justifications.
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Lawsuits and hearings The independent journalist Katie Phang is currently suing the Department of Justice to force it to provide justifications for many of the redactions and release additional documents.
Cite this Entry
“Explanations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explanations. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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