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   explain

   /ɪkˈspleɪn/

   verb

   • 1. make (an idea or situation) clear to someone by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts: "they explained that their lives centred on the religious rituals" Similar describegive an explanation ofmake clear/plain/intelligiblespell output into wordsexpress in wordselucidateexpoundexplicatedelineateclarifyunfoldthrow light onclear upsimplifyglossinterpretdecipherdecodetranslatedemonstrateshowteachillustrateunraveluntangleresolvesolveinformal:get acrossget overOpposite obscure
   • ▪ give a reason so as to justify or excuse (an action or event): "Cassie found it necessary to explain her blackened eye" Similar account forgive an explanation forgive a reason forjustifygive a justification forgive an excuse/alibi/apologia formake excuses forexplain awayrationalizegive a rationale fordefendvindicatelegitimizemitigaterare:extenuate
   • ▪ be the cause of or motivating factor for: "her father's violence explains her pacifism"
   • ▪ minimize the significance of an embarrassing fact or action by giving an excuse or justification: "they know stories about me that I can't explain away"

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin explanare, based on planus ‘plain’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. explainable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 16

   • E

     1

   • X

     8

   • P

     3

   • L

     1

   • A

     1

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

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