How to Use explanation in a Sentence

explanation

noun
  • The professor's explanation was that the poem is really a parody.
  • Some did suggest spying might be involved, but that too seemed a strange explanation.
    Andrew Raine, CNN, 17 Feb. 2023
  • The Green explanation: getting under his desk to pray for help.
    Forbes Wealth Team, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The White House wasn’t buying Scott’s explanation, though.
    Kevin Freking, ajc, 17 Feb. 2023
  • The most obvious explanation for this impression is that the press corps is mostly made up of liberals.
    Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
  • That was very unexpected, and at present, there are no hydrodynamic explanations.
    New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2024
  • One explanation: Wales is both poorer and has the oldest population in the U.K.
    David Luhnow, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • After shooting a three-over-par 74 that put him at one over for the tournament — just good enough to make the cut — Woods issued an apology and quasi-explanation.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023
  • At least a more plausible explanation than extraterrestrials.
    Mick West, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2023
  • The first explanation holds that the cascade is in the eye of the beholder.
    Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
  • For a full explanation of the Schofield saga, click here.
    K.j. Yossman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
  • The lab explanation did note that the IOM's cutoff was 20.
    Christie Aschwanden, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023
  • In the middle of a long, complex explanation on a Rashi on the parshah, the Rebbe paused and searched the crowd.
    Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2024
  • But it was pulled at the last minute with no explanation.
    Patrick Frater, Variety, 30 Apr. 2023
  • With that in mind, here’s a look at why the league altered the kickoff rule, an explanation of it and what else to know.
    Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2024
  • The lower the concentration of Jews in an area, the longer the explanations.
    David Harsanyi, National Review, 27 Apr. 2023
  • The shorter explanation is simply that the crystals look cool… up to a point.
    Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2023
  • Their pride hurt, the twins look for a gendered explanation.
    Jennifer Wilson, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
  • And there is a honking good explanation: All their geese are dead.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 19 July 2024
  • The explanation for these rulings is not to be found in anything in the law; it can only be explained by who is on the Supreme Court.
    Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 5 July 2024
  • Palmer cuts in and presses Devin for a little more of an explanation.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024
  • But if that’s true, what is the explanation for every single woman who graces the YWLS stage?
    Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
  • One explanation is that initial jobless claims tend to be volatile from week to week.
    Akane Otani, WSJ, 10 June 2023
  • Gibson heard one explanation, a tale as old as the South: a Black boy said something to a white girl, which angered her boyfriend.
    Robert Samuels, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
  • All the ups and downs and periods of mania had an explanation.
    Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
  • Four days after the shooting, Tex had an explanation in a statement made through a spokesman.
    Maureen Maher, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2024
  • And Perez feels there has still been no explanation for why he was treated so badly.
    Rachel Clarke, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
  • Chicago is in the sweet spot, asking for no explanation.
    Nicholas Cannariato, New York Times, 26 July 2023
  • Researchers offer several explanations for why narcissists are more inclined to perceive and pursue alternatives.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
  • One explanation, the study found, is that young people who have experienced more types of severe weather events were likelier to strongly endorse action plans regardless of their party affiliation.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'explanation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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