Synonyms

explain

American

[ik-splayn] / ɪkˈspleɪn /

verb (used with object)

to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.

to explain an obscure point.

Synonyms:

explicate

Antonyms:

confuse
to make known in detail.

to explain how to do something.
to assign a meaning to; interpret.

How can you explain such a silly remark?
to make clear the cause or reason of; account for.

I cannot explain his strange behavior.

Synonyms:

justify

verb (used without object)

to give an explanation.

verb phrase

explain away
1. to diminish or nullify the significance of by explanation.
  
  He couldn't explain away his absence from home at the time the robbery was committed.
2. to dispel (doubts, difficulties, etc.) by explanation.
  
  She explained away the child's fears.

explain British

/ ɪkˈspleɪn /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object) to make (something) comprehensible, esp by giving a clear and detailed account of the relevant structure, operation, surrounding circumstances, etc
(tr) to justify or attempt to justify (oneself) by giving reasons for one's actions or words

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What are other ways to say explain?

To explain something is to make it plain or clear, or to render it understandable or intelligible. How does explain compare to synonyms elucidate, expound, and interpret? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of explain

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English explanen, from Latin explānāre “to smooth out, make intelligible, spread out on flat surface”; see origin at ex- ¹, plane ¹

Explanation

To explain something is to define it, show how it works, or just tell what it is. Explaining helps people understand. If you know football really well, then you could probably explain it to a non-fan. Explaining makes things clearer. A lot of teaching is explaining — telling how something works. Also, if you do something wrong, people will ask you to explain your actions. Explaining can help someone "get it" — whatever "it" is.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing explain

PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)

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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

explain explains explained explaining

This “trouble,” based on how you explain it, represents your set of subjective feelings about one moment in time.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Mr. Davies takes the mob mentality online and makes it flesh and blood in “Tip Toe”—which is not based on a true story, thankfully, despite the end cards that explain what happened to the characters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Even in sunny L.A., people crave autumnal treats; how else to explain pumpkin spice cold brew?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo says he has left Portugal's international camp and will explain the reasons why "in time".

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

So, I try to explain what I’m writing about, but it isn’t so easy to explain.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

More research is needed, but Perrin explains that for now, the discovery is “CRISPR-like in its architecture, but there is no evidence that it is CRISPR-like in its function.”

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

Everything gets wrapped up via a woefully earnest speech that explains the movie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The BBC's Liza Tambunan explains what they found inside.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

"The whole effect was discovered by accident," explains Wong, a professor and surgeon at the University of California, Irvine.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026

She explains it a little bit more, saying how she could learn about chemistry and fungus and how plants interact with their environment on the cellular level.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

“It’s so much easier to create something when you know the environment,” Garelick explained about the process of world-building.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Mohan explained that Meta has built payment systems through Stripe’s Link agent wallet, which allows users to hide card information from merchants and AI systems.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

But all of this is uncharted territory for Congress, as Briffault explained: “The problem is, the laws have never been significantly enforced because they’ve never been violated in such an egregious way,” he said.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Jesse Plemons is on hand as a character whose presence isn’t explained until late in the movie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

I explained to him that it was a trick, that I had been forced into it and did not want to go on with it.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

"Consider spending time in the sun," said Nardi, explaining the importance of cumulative heat exposure.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Every two weeks, Shapero said he starts the company all-hands meeting by explaining how his thinking on AI and business strategy has evolved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Tim Duy, chief U.S. economist at SGH Macro Advisors, said that Powell typically used forward guidance as a “dovish anchor” — in other words, explaining to markets that he had no interest in raising rates.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Which is to say, Weber and Finger usually spend more time explaining and trading jokes about what each micro-celeb is known for rather than how celebrity itself has evolved.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

He came to a passage explaining why banks felt they needed credit default swaps at all.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023