explain away

verb

1. tr, adverb to offer excuses or reasons for (bad conduct, mistakes, etc)

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Obama already has had to explain away comments linking the Islamic State to a junior varsity team.

From The Daily Beast

So Eugene already had a leg up—an interlocutor could explain away any failed communication.

From The Daily Beast

First, the Texas governor will have to explain away the manifold gaffes and failures from his last presidential campaign.

From The Daily Beast

Some court watchers believe Arias had no choice but to roll the dice with the jury and attempt to explain away her lies.

From The Daily Beast

At some point, you have to have enough confidence in yourself as a pol to explain away a few votes.

From The Daily Beast

The adherents of the old theology made strenuous efforts to explain away this unwelcome circumstance.

From Project Gutenberg

I have endeavoured to explain away the strange orthography, and I have conjecturally supplied the last line.

From Project Gutenberg

First, the Eleate states the opinion which perplexes him, and which he is anxious either to refute or to explain away.

From Project Gutenberg

Christians like Dr. Abbott explain away the Resurrection as no physical fact, but a spiritual conception.

From Project Gutenberg

Holland, in trying to explain away the inconsistencies of this fabrication, repeatedly blunders.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• justify