Synonyms of explaining away

explaining away

verb

present participle of explain away

1

as in explaining

to give the reason for or cause of

after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explaining
• accounting (for)
• justifying
• rationalizing
• attributing
• condoning
• forgiving
• excusing
• exonerating
• absolving
• vindicating
• exculpating
• acquitting

2

as in glossing (over)

to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses

tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glossing (over)
• explaining
• excusing
• justifying
• glozing (over)
• accounting (for)
• extenuating
• deodorizing
• whitewashing
• palliating
• playing down
• minimizing
• confessing
• apologizing
• varnishing
• atoning
• alleviating
• rationalizing
• mitigating
• softening
• sugarcoating
• lightening
• moderating
• tempering
• lessening
• exculpating
• vindicating
• easing
• exonerating
• absolving
• acquitting
• soft-pedaling
• clearing