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to explain away
[phrase form: explain]
01
to provide reasons or justifications in an attempt to dismiss or minimize the significance of something
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
away
Base verb
explain
Present tense
explain away
3rd person singular
explains away
Present participle
explaining away
Past simple
explained away
Past participle
explained away
Examples
When confronted about the discrepancies in the report, the manager attempted to explain them away as minor errors.
02
to give reasons or excuses to make something that has happened seem less important or to avoid responsibility for it
Examples
Despite the evidence, he tried to explain away his absence from the meeting with a last-minute excuse.
