as in obvious
easy to understand without explanation
a self-explanatory phrase The chapter titles of the book are self-explanatory.
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Recent Examples of self-explanatory
Still, even when the benefits are self-explanatory, cutting ties is easier said than done, as shown by this statistic.
—
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Light switches, which have been self-explanatory since the dawn of electric lighting, apparently now come as an unlabeled multibutton panel that literally required a tutorial session from a technician.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
The product is fairly self-explanatory and easy to navigate.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Train Your Team is self-explanatory, since human error is a major vulnerability, as seen in the First American Financial Corp Data Leak and others.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Light switches, which have been self-explanatory since the dawn of electric lighting, apparently now come as an unlabeled multibutton panel that literally required a tutorial session from a technician.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
The product is fairly self-explanatory and easy to navigate.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Train Your Team is self-explanatory, since human error is a major vulnerability, as seen in the First American Financial Corp Data Leak and others.
—Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-explanatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-explanatory
Adjective
-
There was no obvious precipitating event, but the encroachment of Grok seemed foreboding.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
What is obvious is the Dolphins aren’t going the Wizards route.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Davis is wry and quietly defiant of stereotype, her Elaine’s composure hard-won and her sacrifice of certain kinds of sympathy fully comprehensible.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Just as astronomers assign visible colors to otherwise invisible wavelengths to make images comprehensible, sonification gives numerical data distinct sonic qualities.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her reasoning is frustrating, but understandable — her husband (Yao), now a vampire, is taunting her outside, and Remmick has threatened to kill her daughter back in town.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The decision will be understandable.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In practice, that misalignment is most evident at the factory level.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
-
One place this shift is particularly evident is in theatrical gender play—specifically, in the significant number of women who played men’s roles on the nineteenth-century stage.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Parker was the second person to die in sheriff’s custody this year, and the first apparent suicide in more than two years.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The influence is apparent even among non-evangelicals.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If a conversation thread gets confusing, rewrite the key points in plain language.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
-
To quench your thirst, sip water or plain fizzy water.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Our commitment is straightforward.—
Ben Churchill,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Using one of these devices is straightforward.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms Hotel Thaynes has 128 guest rooms, including six king suites, each designed for simple mountain stays with subtle pops of colors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Such a vote — which is bound to fail but would put senators on the record — differs from using a simple majority to change the Senate rules, a vote a senator could force after an unsuccessful vote to break a filibuster.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-explanatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-explanatory. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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