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:
In fact, Wright didn’t explain things so much as conduct a master class in weaseling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"I think one problem is that people are overgeneralising it and using it in contexts where it might not be the best framework to explain our behaviour," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
A chairman who avoids discussing the outlook can’t explain the committee’s decisions and surrenders a tool for steering it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The toughness of these larvae suggests that pressure alone may not fully explain why insects never established themselves throughout the ocean.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I wasn’t ready to explain it to my parents, so I let them believe something else. None of this is difficult to understand.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Wadsworth explains that if you lose glow worms in an area, they are lost forever unless you carry out a reintroduction program.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The 40-year Treasury-bond bull market rested on three supports, and almost nobody explains all three, because each belongs to a different tribe of economists.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Instead of handing over the actual text, the AI pulls out key ideas and explains them in simpler language -- something Yang thinks could be huge for students.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
This explains the outcry over the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposal to make quarterly reporting voluntary and allow semiannual reporting instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“We’re giving Hank a ride home,” Celia explains.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
For reasons that have not been explained, authorities did not charge Quintero with Franco’s murder until 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"When that happens, the only thing we can do is be patient. They're trying to provoke a fight or create a confrontation. They want to see how long we'll tolerate it," Mohideen explained.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The light-bodied red, Passeggiata, he explained, was a rosé gone wrong when winemakers forgot to remove the grapes’ skins at the correct time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Most of the selling happened before the letter explained why.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
And at last the carrion stink was explained, for around the man’s neck hung a pigeon’s softly rotting carcass.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
He drew a distinction between explaining how the Fed would respond to different scenarios, which he thinks is valuable, and hinting too strongly at a specific move.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
A single physically consistent theory capable of explaining both Jupiter's and Saturn's moon systems could also help scientists understand planets and moons outside the Solar System.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Dodger utility man Kiké Hernandez said he wasn’t going, either, explaining that he was busy rehabbing an injury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
"The next step has to be even better," Terekh said, explaining she wants Fire Point's next public appearance to make a big impact.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
A half hour of that time was filled with a speech from Dad, explaining to Javier and me how we needed to stop squabbling, be kind, and work hard.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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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