| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | unwind, disconnect; solve |
| Synonyms: | bail one out, clear up, detach, discumber, disembroil, disencumber, disengage, disinvolve, emancipate, expand, extricate, free, let go, let off, loose, open, part, resolve, separate, sever, simplify, sort out, sunder, unbraid, undo, unfold, unravel, unscramble, unsnarl, untangle, untie, untwine, untwist, work out |
| Antonyms: | entangle, entwine, twist, wind |
| Main Entry: | elaborate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make detailed; expand |
| Synonyms: | amplify, bedeck, clarify, comment, complicate, deck, decorate, develop, devise, discuss, embellish, enhance, enlarge, evolve, expatiate, explain, expound, flesh out, garnish, improve, interpret, ornament, particularize, polish, produce, refine, specify, unfold, work out |
| Antonyms: | make simple, simplify |
| Main Entry: | elucidate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | explain in detail |
| Synonyms: | annotate, clarify, clear, clear up, decode, demonstrate, draw a picture, enlighten, exemplify, explicate, expound, get across, gloss, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, make perfectly clear, make plain, make see daylight, prove, shed light on, spell out, throw light on, unfold |
| Antonyms: | be vague, confuse, distract, make ambiguous, mix up, mystify, obscure |
| Main Entry: | evolve |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | develop, progress |
| Synonyms: | advance, derive, disclose, educe, elaborate, emerge, enlarge, excogitate, expand, get, grow, increase, mature, obtain, open, result, ripen, unfold, work out |
| Antonyms: | block, decrease, halt, stop |
| Main Entry: | expand |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | extend, augment |
| Synonyms: | aggrandize, amplify, beef up, bloat, blow up, bolster, broaden, bulk up, burgeon, detail, develop, diffuse, dilate, distend, elaborate, embellish, enlarge, explicate, fan out, fatten, fill out, grow, heighten, hike, increase, inflate, lengthen, magnify, mount, multiply, mushroom, open, open out, outspread, pad, piggyback, prolong, protract, puff up, pyramid, slap on, soup up, spread, spread out, stretch, stretch out, swell, tack on, thicken, unfold, unfurl, unravel, unroll, upsurge, wax, widen |
| Antonyms: | abbreviate, contract, lessen, lower, shorten, shrink |
| Main Entry: | explain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make clear; give a reason for |
| Synonyms: | account for, analyze, annotate, break down, bring out, clarify, clear up, construe, decipher, define, demonstrate, describe, diagram, disclose, elucidate, excuse, explicate, expound, get across, go into detail, illustrate, interpret, justify, make plain, manifest, paraphrase, point out, put across, put in plain English, rationalize, read, refine, render, resolve, reveal, set right, solve, spell out, teach, tell, throw light upon, translate, unfold, unravel, untangle |
| Notes: | explicate also contains the implication that the something of which an account is being given is more complicated or detailed - so while one may explain why a child is crying, one would explicate the meaning of a poem or implications of a legal document; early senses of explain were 'smooth out' and 'spread flat' |
| Antonyms: | be vague, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, perplex |
| Main Entry: | explicate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | clarify, expand |
| Synonyms: | amplify, clear up, construe, demonstrate, develop, dilate, elucidate, enlarge upon, enucleate, expatiate, explain, expound, give the big picture, illustrate, interpret, make clear, make explicit, make plain, run down, spell out, tell why, unfold, untangle, work out |
| Notes: | explicate also contains the implication that the something of which an account is being given is more complicated or detailed - so while one may explain why a child is crying, one would explicate the meaning of a poem or implications of a legal document; early senses of explain were 'smooth out' and 'spread flat' |
| Antonyms: | cloud, complicate, confuse, mystify, obscure, tangle |
| Main Entry: | expose |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reveal |
| Synonyms: | advertise, air, bare, betray, brandish, bring to light, broadcast, crack, debunk, denude, dig up, disclose, display, disport, divulge, exhibit, feature, flash, flaunt, give away, lay bare, lay open, leak, let cat out of bag, let out, make known, manifest, open, open to view, parade, present, prove, publish, put on view, report, show, show off, smoke out, spill, streak, tip off, trot out, unclothe, uncover, unearth, unfold, unmask, unshroud, unveil |
| Antonyms: | conceal, cover, hide |
| Main Entry: | expound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | talk about in great detail |
| Synonyms: | clarify, comment, construe, delineate, describe, discourse, elucidate, enucleate, exemplify, explain, explicate, express, illustrate, interpret, present, set forth, spell out, state, unfold |