How to Use self-explanatory in a Sentence

self-explanatory

adjective
  • The purpose of the site is self-explanatory, hence the lack of an image for this one.
    Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Maybe self-explanatory but if the fish are dead, don't get wet.
    Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024
  • While the name seems self-explanatory, there's more than meets the eye to this bedding essential.
    Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 13 Aug. 2023
  • The Strategic Goal The goal side of things is fairly obvious and self-explanatory.
    James Itkoff, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Many art sets are freeform, while others are self-explanatory.
    Tanya Edwards, Parents, 13 June 2024
  • The latter, hosted by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, is also self-explanatory.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 June 2024
  • As a health care leader this title is self-explanatory.
    Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2024
  • The wines themselves are quite approachable, although the list is sometimes less than self-explanatory.
    Pete Wells, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Stock up on sunscreen This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
    Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
  • And for the child-free among us, the allure of a picturesque resort completely devoid of screaming children is pretty self-explanatory.
    Leena Kim, Town & Country, 25 May 2023
  • While the blotting papers and hand cream are self-explanatory—can’t be looking shiny or dry on the red carpet!—the Sublimage line of face and body cream is a luxe set of products worth diving deeper into.
    Louisa Ballhaus, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Some of the fastest-growing states in the pandemic era are also the ones with the worst bus service, according to data from School Bus Fleet, a trade magazine with a self-explanatory title.
    Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024
  • The minimalist control panel was simple for us to get started with, and the buttons felt self-explanatory.
    Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023
  • The idea is pretty self-explanatory: Make zero waste—or as little as possible.
    Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 29 Aug. 2023
  • This coffee maker was very self-explanatory after reading the directions one time through: The control panel is very easy to read and shows ounces, cups, and single-serve brew options.
    Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
  • This one sounds self-explanatory but can easily be overlooked.
    Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 8 June 2023
  • This coffee maker was very self-explanatory after reading the directions one time through.
    Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2023
  • The other principles should be even more self-explanatory: Competing with passion and being a good teammate.
    Dallas News, 19 Feb. 2023
  • Gas and electric-powered snow blowers are pretty self-explanatory, but single- and double-stage snow blowers take a bit of explanation.
    Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Fallston’s rebound belt is self-explanatory, awarded objectively to the team’s top rebounder(s).
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Most of the controls are self-explanatory, but the Defocus and Showcase buttons require a little explanation.
    PCMAG, 30 July 2024
  • Southwest's birthday is pretty self-explanatory, while Halloween is associated with a longstanding Southwest tradition — both corporate staffers and flight crew dress up for the holiday and have since the 1970s.
    Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024
  • Almost a century later, the illustration was reprinted in a natural history volume compiled by a physician, alongside a new, fairly self-explanatory caption that compared it to the dangly bits of an ancient human.
    Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023
  • While temperature seems self-explanatory, there are differences between surface temperature and air temperature.
    Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 12 July 2023
  • Other committees have self-explanatory names: armed services, foreign affairs, judiciary, natural resources, budget.
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 July 2023
  • Finally, financial performance is pretty self-explanatory.
    Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-explanatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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