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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Now, in a small hospital where soft sobs echoed off the sterile linoleum floors, Aaron Easton, the boy Sara married who grew up to be Marysville’s police chief, explained what happened: Sara had shot herself in the head.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Jan. 2025
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With the world's richest man now joining President Trump at the White House, Elon Musk's biographer explains what drives the tech titan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Taake isn’t the only Jan. 6 figure to find trouble waiting after being excused for actions on Jan. 6.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Jan. 2025
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At best, these pardons excuse the violence that took place on January 6, and at worst, encourage that kind of violence in the future by essentially promising would-be insurrectionists forgiveness.—
Vox Staff,
Vox,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That’s a pretty big gap and would require an equally large difference in their per-minute play to justify putting Hunter first.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Investors are betting that President Donald Trump’s pro-growth policies, together with a strong economy and softening inflation, could power earnings growth for companies and justify their lofty valuations after the gains of the prior two years.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 2025.
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