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
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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But money alone doesn’t explain the absence of conscience.—
Todd L. Pittinsky,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2025
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For some teams, a dark-horse mind-set might be better for strategic reasons: underdogs tend to focus on the positive outcome (winning), while top dogs tend to avoid negative outcomes (not losing), which could explain why underdogs sometimes play looser and with an eye to higher risks and rewards.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
26 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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Then there’s the ruling’s decision that national security could justify potential speech suppression.—
Lauren Feiner,
The Verge,
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 30 Jan. 2025.
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