Thesaurus results for EXPLANATIONS

explanations

noun

plural of explanation

as in interpretations

a statement that makes something clear an explanation of photosynthesis that most museum visitors will be able to understand

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as in reasons

a statement given to explain a belief or act when questioned by authorities, the students were at a loss for an explanation for their senseless vandalism

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of explanations The repo man’s job is not to accept the handoff of a phone, or to engage explanations. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Doyle allegedly pocketed most of the proceeds while feeding Matthiesen a string of false explanations about why payment had never arrived. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026 Without literal explanations, readers must pay close attention to Smith’s artwork in each panel to follow Weapon X’s story. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 The Mass, rich in velvet and gold-trimmed vestments, chanting and incense, was livestreamed on the society’s YouTube channel, with simultaneous explanations in several languages. — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The executives who absorbed the Freakonomics ethos learned to separate correlation from causation and to entertain alternative explanations before settling on the most convenient one. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Because of the quick succession of Wednesday’s quakes, Hubbard said confirming there were two earthquakes could be difficult with the preliminary data — and there are other possible explanations for what scientists see on seismographs currently. — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 25 June 2026 While several possible explanations for the Galactic Center Excess have been put forward, including a population of rapidly spinning neutron stars called pulsars, one of the most prevalent has been a specific type of dark matter particle. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 June 2026 Some explanations of bodily difference were obviously wrong, such as physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Rush’s conviction that the dark skin of African Americans was a disease, derived from leprosy. — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for explanations

Noun

If boarding practices become routine under broad legal interpretations, other countries are likely to adopt similar methods in different contexts.

— John Calabrese, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
The Brooklyn neighborhood where, if Swiftie lyrical interpretations are to be trusted, Swift left a now-infamous scarf at the home of one Maggie Gyllenhaal around 2010.

— Lily Boyce, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of interpretations

Noun

The South Beach school’s 1975-‘76 yearbook was a patriotic red, white and blue and illustrations of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and the American Eagle.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Schematics, facility maps, aerial photographs, engineering drawings, cutaway illustrations, and previously unfamiliar archival images reveal the extraordinary complexity of the undertaking.

— Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of illustrations

Noun

During closing arguments Monday, Deputy District Attorney Daniel Gochnour said GPS data placed Vasquez’s phone at the site of both fires around the time each was reported.

— Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
On Monday afternoon, the judge read the jury charge, giving the panel their instructions for deliberations, and attorneys for both sides made their closing arguments.

— Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026

Definition of arguments

Noun

Finally, Corbin has to apologize to Kenzie and KC has to apologize to Aniya — deciding which of these apologies goes better depends on your point of view.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 30 June 2026
In court, Donaldson claimed that those apologies referenced not abuse, but unrelated matters.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 June 2026

Definition of apologies

Noun

What was the breakdown for and against and what justifications did the majority give for its decision?

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Its role is to expose wrongdoing, illuminate facts, and draw the world’s attention to crimes committed in the name of false causes and manufactured justifications.

— Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Definition of justifications

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explanation

explanations

explanative

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“Explanations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explanations. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of explanations

noun

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