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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 explain away
The reasons for the Dodgers’ struggles are easy to explain away.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
So can the drop in standards in the Premier League, with three defeats in their last four league games, be explained away by cup-final distraction?
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
Experts say the shopping list will be difficult for the defense to explain away, especially based on the timing and the specific details about what Kohberger was allegedly looking at.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
These digital artifacts create a detailed record of human activity and movement that’s difficult to falsify or explain away.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
So can the drop in standards in the Premier League, with three defeats in their last four league games, be explained away by cup-final distraction?
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
Experts say the shopping list will be difficult for the defense to explain away, especially based on the timing and the specific details about what Kohberger was allegedly looking at.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
These digital artifacts create a detailed record of human activity and movement that’s difficult to falsify or explain away.
—Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
-
Chicago Tribune Please explain what PFAS are to me PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation’s air, water and soil.—
Michael Phillis,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Verb
-
Cook County Judge Angela Petrone ordered the juror, who appeared to recover, excused and subbed in one of the alternates.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
-
Without excusing Weinstein’s thuggish qualities for a second, Evans was never the physical caricature of the studio exec.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
Some were concerned the data was being used to justify efforts to combat climate change, although the rising cost of weather disasters is due to more than just global warming.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
This would effectively challenge pharmaceutical companies to justify their pricing to America, leading to equitable pricing.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share