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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Recent Examples of explain away
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.
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Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
There can be no scapegoating of a position group as was the case explaining away the ugly 2023 performance.
—Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 2 Dec. 2024
Pollster dismisses Harris campaign's attempt to explain away loss.
—Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away 
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
The historical echoes are not easily explained away.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
There can be no scapegoating of a position group as was the case explaining away the ugly 2023 performance.
—Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 2 Dec. 2024
Pollster dismisses Harris campaign's attempt to explain away loss.
—Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explain away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explain away
Verb
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This might mean using technology to help explain diagnoses or simply making sure communication is clear and thoughtful.Maged el-Malecki, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
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Honoring your own culture An effective way to navigate these conversations is by explaining to your child that their friend's hairstyle is a way of honoring their culture—and that your child can celebrate their own culture, too.Leslie D. Rose, Parents, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After various teachers, administrators and parents raised concerns about the efficacy and age appropriateness of the books, the school system initially allowed students to be excused when the books were read in class.Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
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Prior to the pandemic, Pelosi denied Rep. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) request to be excused from in-person voting due to similar concerns in 2014.Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Ignoring basic forest stewardship while crying ‘climate change’ is nothing more than a convenient excuse to justify inaction.Danielle B. Franz, National Review, 13 Jan. 2025
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In his book Orientalism, Edward Said famously revealed the ways that Western literature had depicted Arabs as exotic, backward, irrational, and in need of guidance—portrayals that served, consciously or not, to justify a colonial mindset toward them.Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near explain away
Cite this Entry
“Explain away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explain%20away. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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