explain
verb (used with object)
to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.
explained
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past participleof explain.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof explain.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
explainverb (used with object)to make plain or clear; render understandable or intelligible.
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.
“It’s for a class on the Holocaust,” she explained.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
One explained to Catie that they were a family business that could not afford to do so.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
As one editor explained, the opaqueness of these decisions allows for “plausible deniability” at any point in the chain—from publicists to indie bookstore employees—even as various parties might be deliberately subverting a book’s prospects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The program began in 2015 and Ledbetter explained it exists both to serve science and educate the public -- but also to rebuild the ecosystem "one coral at a time."
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
“Pa said he’d buy me a ticket to Colorado if I could find Seven Wonders here,” I explained.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
