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explain away. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
explain away, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
explain away in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
explain away you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Verb
explain away (third-person singular simple present explains away, present participle explaining away, simple past and past participle explained away)
- To dismiss or minimize (a problem, etc.) by explanation.
- He couldn't just explain away all of his problems.
2023 October 18, Murtada Elfadl, “Killers Of The Flower Moon review: Martin Scorsese's uniquely American tragedy”, in AV Club:De Niro veers dangerously close to caricature—making chirpy noises, always tilting his head, adding dashes of comedy—yet he ends up personifying evil while never sanding off the edges of this horrible man or trying to explain away his misdeeds with a humanist approach.
Related terms
Translations
to dismiss or minimize by explanation
See also