Synonym Chooser

How does the verb explicate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of explicate are elucidate, explain, expound, and interpret. While all these words mean "to make something clear or understandable," explicate adds the idea of a developed or detailed analysis.

explicate a poem

When might elucidate be a better fit than explicate?

The words elucidate and explicate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, elucidate stresses the throwing of light upon as by offering details or motives previously unclear or only implicit.

elucidate an obscure passage

When is it sensible to use explain instead of explicate?

Although the words explain and explicate have much in common, explain implies a making plain or intelligible what is not immediately obvious or entirely known.

explain the rules

Where would expound be a reasonable alternative to explicate?

In some situations, the words expound and explicate are roughly equivalent. However, expound implies a careful often elaborate explanation.

expounding a scientific theory

How are the words interpret and explain related as synonyms of explicate?

Interpret adds to explain the need for imagination or sympathy or special knowledge in dealing with something.

interpreting a work of art

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 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 The Michael Mann Archives also provide a wealth of video content in the form of 18 documentaries that explicate Mann and his collaborators’ process from a wide array of perspectives including acting, production design, cinematography, and props. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 July 2024 It’s never fully explicated in the screenplay, but Max’s past mental health issues and possibly undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder are frequently alluded to, thrumming below the surface. Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 31 May 2024 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, 8 Sep. 2010 See All Example Sentences for explicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explicate
Verb
  • At each camp, the team leaves behind a small but powerful item, a red card that explains what to do during encounters with immigration officials.
    David Rodriguez Muñoz, Freep.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The powers that be explained to me that in the audiobook, there would be no easy way to identify the bees’ chapters, which were designated with italics in the printed version, unless the narrator’s voice changed from female to male.
    Elizabeth Bass Parman, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Later Cox said a person of interest was in custody and being interviewed, and clarified that the person was not the man booked on the obstruction charge.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Of the 118 valid responses from patients, 108 indicated the ChatGPT summaries clarified details about the original report.
    Kate Ruder, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Still, Carney’s lyrical piece, a sort of prose poem-flash fiction hybrid, written from the point of view of an unborn baby, illustrates a womb space at once protective and cage-like.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Watch Thelma on Hulu Kinds of Kindness Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this 2024 dark dramedy anthology is told across three loosely interwoven chapters, each exploring characters who take extraordinary measures to demonstrate their love to someone else.
    Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The Royals demonstrated patience and diligently worked favorable counts before landing the knockout blow.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Explicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explicate. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!