1
as in to clarify
to make plain or understandable
a pamphlet that explains the medical procedure in language that any layperson can understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to justify
to give the reason for or cause of
can you explain your very odd behavior at the wedding reception?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explain
Television ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2: What to know, new characters, episodes explained
May 23, 2025
What the hell just happened?
—
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Here, again, the English translation fails to capture the historical and cultural connotations of the Persian, Bahari explained.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Much of the tour has been dedicated to explaining and, in some instances, excusing how the press, a multibillion-dollar industry whose entire reason ...
—Becket Adams, National Review, 25 May 2025
As de Lara explains to Tanner, each Greek temple’s visual experience was different.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Here, again, the English translation fails to capture the historical and cultural connotations of the Persian, Bahari explained.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Much of the tour has been dedicated to explaining and, in some instances, excusing how the press, a multibillion-dollar industry whose entire reason ...
—Becket Adams, National Review, 25 May 2025
As de Lara explains to Tanner, each Greek temple’s visual experience was different.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for explain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain
Verb
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But there’s a difference between using AI to clarify your message and asking it to invent your story.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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Lawmakers in both chambers are advancing bills such as the GENIUS Act and the STABLE Act, aimed at defining stablecoins and clarifying disclosure rules.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
Verb
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This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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By confusing the idea that the people’s will must prevail with what the law actually says, these leaders justify intimidating judges and their sound legal rulings, a move that ultimately undermines democracy.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Els took a South African passport from his jacket pocket to illustrate his pride in his country.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Given this reality, Israelis’ attribution of collective responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack creates a troubling moral calculus that rationalizes civilian suffering.—
Carlo Koos,
The Conversation,
22 May 2025
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Rather than condemning such actions, the previous Biden administration report rationalized them.—
Scott Suckow,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2025
Verb
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But hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrate against the war each week, demanding the government agrees a ceasefire deal to release all the hostages still held in the strip.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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In November 2024, Russia demonstrated the capabilities of its own hypersonic missile with an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, going on television shortly afterwards to boast about the weapons capabilities.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Verb
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This streamlined process simplifies revenue streams and eliminates costly chargebacks, providing merchants greater financial predictability and security.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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If passed, the revisions would eliminate many of the repayment options introduced under the Biden administration and simplify the process into two choices, both of which would result in higher payments for most borrowers.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The emergence of multimodal LLMs, which can interpret speech, images, video and text, is opening up a new class of cross-functional, intelligent workflows.—
Umair Javed,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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According to Lust, judges interpret the law differently.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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