1
as in clarifying
to make plain or understandable
a pamphlet that explains the medical procedure in language that any layperson can understand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
to give the reason for or cause of
can you explain your very odd behavior at the wedding reception?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explaining
The dispute was resolved after Singh agreed to provide additional context, explaining that the files were collaborative documents shared among participants through the messaging app Signal.
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Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2026
Scanning them launches video tutorials explaining what each product does — without forcing customers to ask questions in a store.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Li brought this up pre-emptively on Thursday, explaining that there’s a reason why their fourth-down conversion percentage (fourth best in the league) is so much higher than their third-down conversion percentage (25th).
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Jan. 2026
Dobbs stopped short of explaining why or revealing what happens next, adding only that first-round rookie left tackle Will Campbell recently impressed.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Brewer points to this moment (above), with Mike explaining and owning his branding with beaming pride, as crucial to realizing the opening would work — mainly because of the way Jackman held the close-up.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
This article is part of a series explaining foreign policy terms commonly used but rarely explained.
—Andrew Latham, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Starlito recently shared insight into the creative process behind the album, explaining its organic evolution.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Ukraine knows about the value of culture as soft power and spends a lot of money explaining to the world what’s going on in their country.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explaining
Verb
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Rather than clarifying events surrounding Epstein's death, the footage appears to complicate the official narrative, and contradicts some prior statements about the prison's surveillance system.—
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The death certificates for Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner are clarifying the timeline of their deaths.—
Verb
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Two skeptics of the COVID vaccine, who were appointed to administration roles just last month, authored a brief assessment justifying the overhaul.—
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But the opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel justifying the strikes remains classified.—
Verb
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Wisteria is a light, calming shade of purple that feels fitting for illustrating any garden.—
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The Jayhawks would go onto win 38-21, with that particular drive illustrating the dominance of Kansas’ ground game Saturday.—
Verb
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Instead of rationalizing it, seeing it from his shoes and changing your tactics with him.—
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Aeffe is rationalizing its retail network and earlier this month the board approved the early termination of the rental contract signed with two real estate firms, Colloportus and FQuattro, respectively controlled by designer Alberta Ferretti and her brother, executive chairman Massimo Ferretti.—
Verb
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One do-it-yourselfer demonstrating step-by-step how to rewire an electrical outlet via a TikTok video replaces thousands of dads and grandpas who could do the same thing.—
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In the videos, opposing factions demonstrating across the country rallied around chants in support of and opposition to the Iranian government.—
Verb
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What's really behind the baby bust The reasons Americans choose not to have children are hotly debated in academic circles, with many attributing America’s baby bust to shifting priorities and societal norms.—
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But attributing everything to the turnovers overlooks the fact that Michigan has thrown for fewer than 150 yards in back-to-back games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.—
Verb
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Known for simplifying complex issues, O'Grady has reported on how tariffs impact small businesses and consumers, Federal Reserve policy and interest rate decisions, including securing an exclusive interview with a Federal Reserve president.—
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Expanded nonstop flights to Portland International Airport (just 30 miles away) are simplifying travel, making spontaneous long weekends and family getaways more attainable than ever.—
Verb
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This perspective reflects her broader philosophy that people are active participants in their own process, capable of interpreting their internal signals with guidance rather than direction.—
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But interpreting this statistic has become more complicated with the crackdown on immigrants.—
Cite this Entry
“Explaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explaining. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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