explanations

noun

plural of explanation
1
as in interpretations
a statement that makes something clear an explanation of photosynthesis that most museum visitors will be able to understand

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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 But Gottschald has learned that beneath those initial explanations often lie more complicated concerns. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026 These ideas appeared far less often in our participants’ explanations of what teaching resembles. — Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 And read on for explanations of a few especially chewy clues. — New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Persistent hoarseness can have other explanations, including irritation or a benign growth, but an ENT needs to look to find out. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 But conventional explanations emphasizing liberalism’s association with economic development and the rise of a middle class cannot fully account for ideological shifts. — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 In our case, that involves parsing legal agreements clause by clause and enriching each clause with plain-English explanations, risk scores and preapproved alternatives. — Robert Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 In the simplest of explanations, cell therapy uses living cells to treat diseases. — Max Darrow, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The candidates vying to be Florida’s next senator have very different explanations as to why a smaller share of the state’s residents are registered to vote. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explanations
  1. interpretations
  2. reasons
  3. illustrations
  4. arguments
  5. apologies
  6. justifications
Noun
  • Florals, from abstract interpretations to more literal blooms, were the motif of choice for the statement stud.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In a March interview with Vogue, Hadid discussed how living in Texas had introduced her to different interpretations of cowgirl style, from women who dress up for the occasion to those who spend their days working with horses.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of interpretations
Noun
  • Among their reasons for concern is Ohio’s poor track record when women are on the ballot.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • These tools are primarily used by those who make less than $50,000 according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office report, with food and rent being the key reasons people use the service, one case study of food and restaurant workers found.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • But the Iran example – and particularly the ongoing episodic closures of the Strait of Hormuz – is one of the best illustrations today of how merely invoking credibility to act is not the same as having an overall endgame strategy.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Getting answers requires hunting for clues scattered throughout the text; for example, looking for differences in images on the book’s website and illustrations in the book, or using certain page numbers as map coordinates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrations
Noun
  • The potential candidates will also hear more cynical arguments in favor of running no matter what.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Both were sharp, original and capable of making arguments more sophisticated than those of many of their peers.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of arguments
Noun
  • Celebrities post their breakfasts, their skincare, their holidays and their Notes-app apologies.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Leading figures in the security establishment have issued public apologies and left the scene.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of apologies
Noun
  • Tina was granted a divorce on grounds of cruelty, one of the few legal justifications for divorce in 1903.
    — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Well, it’s generally focused on the origins of and justifications for Baldwin’s multi-decade persecution complex.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of justifications

Browse Nearby Words

explanation
explanations
explanative
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Cite this Entry

“Explanations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explanations. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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