explain away
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verb
(tr, adverb) to offer excuses or reasons for (bad conduct, mistakes, etc)
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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Words nearby explain away
expire, expired gas, expiry, expiscate, explain, explain away, explainer, explain oneself, explanate, explanation, explanatory
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Example sentences from the Web for explain away
Idioms and Phrases with explain away
explain away
Dismiss or minimize the importance of something, especially something detrimental. For example, “His words were taken down, and though he tried to explain them away, he was sent to the Tower” (Thomas Macaulay, The History of England, 1855). [c. 1700]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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