Synonyms for explain

verb

interpret, explicate, account for, elucidate, illustrate, clarify, illuminate, make clear, describe, expound, teach, manifest, reveal, disclose, point up, point out, demonstrate, tell, refine, read, translate, paraphrase, render, put in other words, decipher, assign a meaning to, construe, define, disentangle, justify, rationalize, untangle, unravel, make plain, unfold, come to the point, put across, throw light upon, show by example, restate, rephrase, simplify, demystify, annotate, comment on, remark upon, offer an explanation, resolve, clear up, set right, put on the right track, unscramble, spell out, articulate, go into detail, get to the bottom of, figure out, speak out, emphasize, cast light upon, get across, get over, get through, get to, bring out, work out, solve, make sense of, make oneself understood, hammer into one's head*, put in plain English*.

Antonyms puzzle, confuse*, confound.

explain implies making clear or intelligible something that is not known or understood to explain how a machine operates; expound implies a systematic and thorough explanation, often by a person having expert knowledge to expound a theory; explicate implies a scholarly analysis or exposition that is developed in detail the explication of a Biblical passage; elucidate implies a shedding light upon by clear and specific explanation, illustration, etc. to elucidate the country's foreign policy; to interpret is to bring out meanings not immediately apparent, as by translation, searching insight, or special knowledge how do you interpret his behavior?; construe suggests a careful interpretation of something especially where meaning is ambiguous her silence was construed as agreement

See explain in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms

See explain in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II

Learn more about explain

» explain definition

» explain phrase meanings

» explain sentence examples

» explain quote examples

link/cite print suggestion box

Synonyms for explain

More from YD