1
as in to explain
to give the reason for or cause of
after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
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2
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature
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Recent Examples of explain away
Two losses to open the 2024-25 campaign could mostly be explained away by a pair of rough goaltending performances.
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Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024
The final section of Wilder’s play – the three acts are performed without an intermission in this production, with Parson’s Stage Manager having some fun explaining away any confusion – is one of American drama’s most foolproof scenes, and Leon and his cast pull it off nicely.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
There, unlike on television, his fragmented attention, peculiar thinking, and dangerous words cannot hide or be explained away.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
Prosecutors also said the children had been in and out of the hospital for various reasons, including bruising, bleach burns and possible internal bleeding − symptoms that were all explained away by their adoptive parents.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024
The final section of Wilder’s play – the three acts are performed without an intermission in this production, with Parson’s Stage Manager having some fun explaining away any confusion – is one of American drama’s most foolproof scenes, and Leon and his cast pull it off nicely.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
There, unlike on television, his fragmented attention, peculiar thinking, and dangerous words cannot hide or be explained away.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2024
Prosecutors also said the children had been in and out of the hospital for various reasons, including bruising, bleach burns and possible internal bleeding − symptoms that were all explained away by their adoptive parents.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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Elena Ferrante explains that the earthquake was an exterior thing.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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For any that haven’t reached green, clicking the segment reveals exactly why and, in most cases, explains how to get a better score.PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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As in, so bad as to never be excused, ever? Miss Manners agrees there is an indelicacy to handling another diner’s place settings.Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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You’d be excused for forgetting that both men were still running for the U.S. Senate in California.Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The fact that its nuclear warheads are so close to Ukraine could, in fact, tempt Russia to conduct a false-flag operation on its own storage sites in order to justify a nuclear attack.William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
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And, before beginning, there’s often a need to justify the investment internally.Andrea Wasserman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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