explain
Usage
What are other ways to say explain?
To explain is to make plain, clear, or intelligible something that is not known or understood: to explain a theory or a problem. To elucidate is to throw light on what before was dark and obscure, usually by illustration and commentary and sometimes by elaborate explanation: They asked him to elucidate his statement. To expound is to give a methodical, detailed, scholarly explanation of something, usually Scriptures, doctrines, or philosophy: to expound the doctrine of free will. To interpret is to give the meaning of something by paraphrase, by translation, or by an explanation based on personal opinion: to interpret a poem or a symbol.
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:
The findings help explain why some sinking material transports carbon much farther into the ocean than other particles, even though both begin their journeys near the surface.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
"There are more like Brand" reads the Daily Mirror's headline, which goes on to explain that Nandy "fears showbiz could be shielding more predators like Russell Brand".
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Jerry will point out poetic elements of the songs, explain rhythm, similes and metaphors, internal rhymes, clichés, split perspective and different types of rhyme schemes.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
Blacknell said prosecutors did not explain why they declined to charge Townsend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Newspapers, in both the North and the South, struggled to explain the tangled politics to the public.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"That's basically the reason you do proof-of-concept testing. There are a lot of differences in the space environment compared to down on Earth," Suh explains.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
“Sometimes people’s energies come in and they shift the way the room feels,” Bennett explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
This can cause immense distress in dementia patients thinking about euthanasia, explains Dr Rozemarijn van Bruchem, a geriatrician and ethicist at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2026
“Gripping stories don’t have to be about the rich or the famous or the powerful,” he explains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026
“Gabe is worried about this coyote from the fire,” Dad explains to Mr. Larkin.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
In an interview with Sight and Sound magazine initially published in 1995, Russell explained that he knew he “wasn’t making a pornographic film.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
"This geological formation has produced an exceptionally rich fossil record that includes giant marine reptiles like long-necked plesiosaurs and marine crocodile relatives, as well as turtles, sharks, crustaceans and others," Cortés explained.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
"There is a lot of investment in its stability," she explained, but "a margin of political space for civil and political rights is part of the stability calculus."
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
Describing him as "the happiest little man" who is "blissfully unaware" of his problems, Tammy explained how important Tate's mobility is to him.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
“Thought I’d mosey on down to Alfred’s early,” she explained.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
"Ever since the law was passed in 2018, we have tried to apply," she told AFP, explaining that they went years without a response.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
The latest study provides an important piece of that puzzle by identifying a specific gut bacterium and explaining how it helps intestinal cells prepare for injury.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
The Home Office has launched an investigation after a solicitor was secretly filmed by the BBC explaining how he could make a £45,000 illegal-working fine go away.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Fear not, we’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow to do some more explaining about what these results mean.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
I didn’t think I’d have to do any explaining to Mama and Daisy about my monkey trouble, but I should have known better.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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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