Thesaurus results for EXPLAINS AWAY

explains away

verb

present tense third-person singular of explain away

as in explains

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

Relevance

as in excuses

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explains away

Verb

Ganis explains why those rising valuations and new backers have led to different types of deal structures.

— Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The stronger model is one in which AI narrows the decision space, surfaces relevant signals and explains why an action is being recommended.

— Rahul Saluja, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of explains

Verb

Any person who celebrates, encourages, or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong.

— Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
For me, the larger question is not whether artistic behavior excuses transgression, but how to hold artistic achievement and ethical accountability together without allowing one to erase the other.

— Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of excuses

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.

Browse Nearby Words

explains

explains away

explanation

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Explains away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explains%20away. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of explains away

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes