EXPLAINING AWAY Synonyms: 36 Similar Words

explaining away

verb

present participle of explain away

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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of explaining away There was no explaining away a mistake like that. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026 Offscreen, some fans accuse Wyle of explaining away or downplaying his fictional character’s cruelty, and of a constellation of other sins, including envy of his fellow actors’ credentials. — Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026 Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee asked ChatGPT for help explaining away his girlfriend’s fatal injuries a day before she was found dead in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said Monday. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026 For months, the West Wing has had difficulty explaining away stubbornly high prices but has been able to celebrate the low cost of gas. — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining away

Verb

Before explaining what the technology can do, understand what the customer is trying to accomplish.

— William Arruda, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
In the Situational Awareness fund move, Griffin sent investors a letter explaining Citadel’s stock actions with the AI company.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026

Definition of excusing

Verb

Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, an Assad loyalist who was vocally in support of the government's policies, was convicted of inciting violence and justifying murder.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
The second, less visible but arguably more consequential, is that the capability gap justifying dependence on closed frontier labs has nearly disappeared.

— Pawel Rzeszucinski, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of justifying

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explaining

explaining away

explains

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“Explaining away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining%20away. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of explaining away

verb

Example Sentences

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