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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explain away
Prosecutors said that the kids had previously been in and out of the hospital for bruising, bleach burns and potential internal bleeding, among other reasons, all of which their parents were able to explain away, WLWT reported.
—
Bailey Richards, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
But in his tenure, he's never had to explain away a loss on his watch in a statewide race.
—Dana Ferguson, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
The message on the left is the attempt of the main admin to explain away the message as a copy past mistake and reaffirm their undying love and faith in the leaderCourtesy the author; Screenshot from Telegram
Whatever his health, Khamenei's age alone has made succession a major preoccupation.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Bailey Richards, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
But in his tenure, he's never had to explain away a loss on his watch in a statewide race.
—Dana Ferguson, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
The message on the left is the attempt of the main admin to explain away the message as a copy past mistake and reaffirm their undying love and faith in the leaderCourtesy the author; Screenshot from Telegram
Whatever his health, Khamenei's age alone has made succession a major preoccupation.
—Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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This would explain those bigger groups that show up to bars and nurse one or two drinks.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
7 Feb. 2025
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That, explains Brady, is because the Great Lakes aren’t freezing, leading to an increase in lake effect storms.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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When Levin was excused from the stand, Judge Mark Arnold asked if the defense was ready to put up another witness.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
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This might be excused as valor for protecting our planet if the science wasn’t questionable and Gov. Wes Moore’s other decisions weren’t poor.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Realizing the extent of losses from the Palisades and Eaton fires, perhaps the cost of greater water delivery capacity would now be justified.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
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The message is clear that he is justified in his actions and need not observe the law.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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