as in to explain
to make plain or understandable
the physicist did his best to explicate the wave theory of light for the audience of laymen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of explicate
The initial version was published in The Columbia Journal of Law & The Arts, with 248 footnotes explicating both legal and operatic precedents.
—
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 11 July 2025
Idles’s songs explicate the social and moral turmoil that youthful protesters can’t put into words, but the band’s energetic live performances and enthusiastic crowds make sense of what otherwise look like ideological whims.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 May 2025
Aided by its curious title, The Courage To Be Disliked is a parabolic conversation between a youth and a philosopher designed to explicate the intersection of Greek philosophy and Adlerian psychology.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Each of the songs explicates a place and time of an incident or an idea in the lives of the protagonists.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for explicate
Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 11 July 2025
Idles’s songs explicate the social and moral turmoil that youthful protesters can’t put into words, but the band’s energetic live performances and enthusiastic crowds make sense of what otherwise look like ideological whims.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 May 2025
Aided by its curious title, The Courage To Be Disliked is a parabolic conversation between a youth and a philosopher designed to explicate the intersection of Greek philosophy and Adlerian psychology.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Each of the songs explicates a place and time of an incident or an idea in the lives of the protagonists.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for explicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explicate
Verb
-
Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
The impacts of these events still feel fresh, Serpi explains through a digital translator.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Uthmeier’s office declined to confirm or clarify its arguments to the Herald/Times, saying the case is confidential.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
-
Shah clarified on the May 6 video call that the financial model for independent schools relies on tuition covering roughly 70% of operating costs, with the remaining 30% dependent on giving.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
There will be a view of the river from the commons and interior wall graphics will illustrate the theme of the design, which incorporates the concepts of earth, air, water and fire.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Consider these our contemporary cupcake commandments, illustrated by three new recipes that are, as Carrie would say, fabulous.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In reality, the incident had no bearing on subway construction—much of Los Angeles sits on or near petroleum and natural-gas deposits, and Metro engineers had already demonstrated that they were equipped to deal with the hazards—but the bill passed anyway.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Yet many of its students aren’t demonstrating even an elementary grasp of free speech.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
