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Explain synonyms

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explicate
To make clear or explicit (something obscure or implied); explain fully
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  1. To make clear or explicit (something obscure or implied); explain fully
elucidate
To make clear (esp. something abstruse); explain
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  1. To make clear (esp. something abstruse); explain
  2. To explain or clarify something:
illustrate
To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
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  1. To clarify something by giving, or serving as, an example or a comparison.
  2. To clarify or explain, as by the use of examples or comparisons:
  3. To explain or decorate
interpret
To translate from one language into another:
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  1. To translate from one language into another:
  2. To have or show one's own understanding of the meaning of; construe
  3. To bring out the meaning of; esp., to give one's own conception of (a work of art), as in performance or criticism
clarify
To melt (butter) and remove the water and milk solids
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  1. To melt (butter) and remove the water and milk solids
  2. To become clear.
  3. To make or become easier to understand
illuminate
To make clear; explain; elucidate
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  1. To make clear; explain; elucidate
  2. To give light to; light up
  3. To enlighten intellectually or spiritually; enable to understand:
describe
To move through space in such a way as to represent or conform to (the outline of a given shape)
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  1. To move through space in such a way as to represent or conform to (the outline of a given shape)
  2. To picture in words
  3. To tell or write about; give a detailed account of
expound
To explain in detail; elucidate:
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  1. To explain in detail; elucidate:
  2. To make known or set forth; present:
  3. To explain or interpret; clarify
teach
To give lessons to (a student, pupil, or class); guide the studies of; instruct
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  1. To give lessons to (a student, pupil, or class); guide the studies of; instruct
  2. To cause to learn by example or experience:
  3. To show or help (a person) to learn (how) to do something
manifest
To make clear or evident; show plainly; reveal; evince
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  1. To make clear or evident; show plainly; reveal; evince
  2. To become manifest; be revealed:
  3. To appear to the senses; show itself
reveal
To expose to view; show; exhibit; display
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  1. To expose to view; show; exhibit; display
  2. To cause to be seen; show:
  3. To make known (something concealed or unknown):
disclose
To bring into view; uncover
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  1. To bring into view; uncover
  2. To reveal (dental plaque) as by applying a special coloring agent to the teeth
  3. To reveal; make known; esp., to expose (something secret or not generally known)
point out
(Idiomatic) To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.
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  1. (Idiomatic) To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.
  2. (Figuratively, idiomatic) To tell, remind, indicate.
demonstrate
To present by experiments, examples, or practical application; explain and illustrate:
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  1. To present by experiments, examples, or practical application; explain and illustrate:
  2. To explain or make clear by using examples, experiments, etc.
  3. To show the operation or working of; specif., to show (a product) in use in an effort to sell it
tell
To reveal something that is not supposed to be revealed, especially something that someone has done wrong:
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  1. To reveal something that is not supposed to be revealed, especially something that someone has done wrong:
  2. To express in words; utter; say
  3. To communicate by speech or writing; express with words:
refine
To make something more polished or elegant
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  1. To make something more polished or elegant
  2. To become fine or pure; become free from impurities, etc.
  3. To use precise distinctions and subtlety in thought or speech.
read
To know (a language) well enough to interpret its written form
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  1. To know (a language) well enough to interpret its written form
  2. To get the meaning of (something written, printed, embossed, etc.) by using the eyes, or for Braille, the finger tips, to interpret its characters or signs
  3. To receive or comprehend (a radio message, for example):
translate
To be changed or transformed in effect. Often used with into or to :
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  1. To be changed or transformed in effect. Often used with into or to :
  2. (--- Eccles.) To transfer (a bishop) from one see to another; also, to move (a saint's body or remains) from one place of interment to another
  3. (Cytology) To convert into a chain of amino acids forming a specific protein: said of genetic information in the form of messenger RNA
paraphrase
To compose a paraphrase
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  1. To compose a paraphrase
  2. To restate using different words, especially to clarify.
  3. To restate something as, or to compose a paraphrase.
render
To give or make available; provide:
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  1. To give or make available; provide:
  2. To give in return or by obligation:
  3. To give or pay (something due or owed)
decipher
To find a solution to a problem.
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  1. To find a solution to a problem.
  2. To read text that is almost illegible or obscure.
  3. To read or interpret (ambiguous, obscure, or illegible matter).
construe
To use syntactically:
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  1. To use syntactically:
  2. To analyze, explain, interpret. See also construction. To analyze, explain, interpret. See also construction.
  3. To understand or explain the meaning of (something), especially in a particular way; interpret:
define
To make clear the outline or form of; delineate:
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  1. To make clear the outline or form of; delineate:
  2. To prepare definitions, as of words
  3. To give the distinguishing characteristics of
disentangle
To free from something that entangles, confuses, etc.; extricate; disengage
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  1. To free from something that entangles, confuses, etc.; extricate; disengage
  2. To clear up or resolve (a plot, for example); unravel.
  3. To get free from a tangle
justify
To prove qualified as surety
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  1. To prove qualified as surety
  2. To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid:
  3. (Law) To show an adequate reason for something done
rationalize
To explain rationally:
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  1. To explain rationally:
  2. To explain or justify (one's behavior) with incorrect reasons or excuses, often without conscious awareness:
  3. To think in a rational or rationalistic manner
untangle
To remove tangles or knots.
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  1. To remove tangles or knots.
  2. To free from confusion; clear up; put in order
  3. To straighten out (something puzzling or complicated); clarify or resolve.
unravel
To become unraveled:
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  1. To become unraveled:
  2. To fall apart, disintegrate, collapse, etc.
  3. To clarify the elements of (something mysterious or baffling); solve:
unfold
To open and spread out (something folded); extend.
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  1. To open and spread out (something folded); extend.
  2. To make known or lay open to view, esp. in stages or little by little; reveal, disclose, display, or explain
  3. (Intransitive) To turn out to happen; to develop.
put-across
To perform a theatrical production.
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  1. To perform a theatrical production.
  2. To explain or state something clearly and understandably.
restate
To state again or in a new form.
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  1. To state again or in a new form.
  2. To state again (without changing)
  3. To state again, esp. in a different way
rephrase
To phrase again, especially to state in a new, clearer, or different way.
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  1. To phrase again, especially to state in a new, clearer, or different way.
  2. To find a different way to say something syn.
simplify
To reduce to fundamental parts.
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  1. To reduce to fundamental parts.
  2. To become simpler.
  3. To make simpler, either by reducing in complexity, reducing to component parts, or making easier to understand.
demystify
To make less mysterious; clarify:
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  1. To make less mysterious; clarify:
  2. To remove the mystery from something; to explain or clarify.
annotate
To gloss a text.
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  1. To gloss a text.
  2. To add annotation
  3. To provide critical or explanatory notes for (a literary work, etc.)
resolve
To cause (a person) to decide
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  1. To cause (a person) to decide
  2. To reach as a decision or intention; determine
  3. To make a firm decision about:
unscramble
To restore (a scrambled message) to intelligible form.
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  1. To restore (a scrambled message) to intelligible form.
  2. To put into order or restore to order.
  3. To cause to be no longer scrambled, disordered, or mixed up
spell out
To form (a word) from its component letters.
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  1. To form (a word) from its component letters.
  2. To explain in a simple and understandable manner.
articulate
(Music) To play or sing (a note, passage, etc.) in a particular, usually the indicated, manner
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  1. (Music) To play or sing (a note, passage, etc.) in a particular, usually the indicated, manner
  2. To utter (a speech sound) by making the necessary movements of the speech organs.
  3. (Architecture) To give visible or concrete expression to (the composition of structural elements):
figure out
(Idiomatic) To calculate.
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  1. (Idiomatic) To calculate.
  2. (Idiomatic) To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
speak-out
(Idiomatic) To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.
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  1. (Idiomatic) To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known.
emphasize
To cause to appear important or deserving of attention:
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  1. To cause to appear important or deserving of attention:
  2. To give emphasis to; stress:
  3. To give prominence of sound to (a syllable or word) in pronouncing or in accordance with a metrical pattern.
work out
(Intransitive) To conclude with the correct solution.
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  1. (Intransitive) To conclude with the correct solution.
  2. To smooth.
  3. (With object after out) To calculate.
solve
To solve an equation:
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  1. To solve an equation:
  2. To find an answer to, explanation for, or way of dealing with (a problem, for example).
  3. To find or provide a satisfactory answer or explanation for; make clear; explain
construe
To infer or deduce
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  1. To infer or deduce
  2. To understand or explain the meaning of (something), especially in a particular way; interpret:
  3. To explain or deduce the meaning of; interpret
decipher
To translate (a message in cipher or code) into ordinary, understandable language; decode
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  1. To translate (a message in cipher or code) into ordinary, understandable language; decode
  2. To find a solution to a problem.
  3. To read or interpret (ambiguous, obscure, or illegible matter).
explicate
To make clear or explicit (something obscure or implied); explain fully
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  1. To make clear or explicit (something obscure or implied); explain fully
expound
To make known or set forth; present:
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  1. To make known or set forth; present:
  2. To explain in detail; elucidate:
  3. To explain or interpret; clarify
interpret
To explain the meaning of:
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  1. To explain the meaning of:
  2. To have or show one's own understanding of the meaning of; construe
  3. To bring out the meaning of; esp., to give one's own conception of (a work of art), as in performance or criticism
spell out
To form (a word) from its component letters.
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  1. To form (a word) from its component letters.
  2. To explain in a simple and understandable manner.
enucleate
(Medicine) To remove (a tumor or eye, for example) whole from an enveloping cover or sac.
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  1. (Medicine) To remove (a tumor or eye, for example) whole from an enveloping cover or sac.
  2. (Intransitive, medicine) To remove something; especially, to remove an eyeball or tumor.
  3. (Archaic) To explain; elucidate.
clear up
(Intransitive) Of stormy weather, to dissipate, to become calm.
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  1. (Intransitive) Of stormy weather, to dissipate, to become calm.
  2. To clarify, to correct a misconception.
decipher
To translate (a message in cipher or code) into ordinary, understandable language; decode
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  1. To translate (a message in cipher or code) into ordinary, understandable language; decode
  2. To read or interpret (ambiguous, obscure, or illegible matter).
  3. To find a solution to a problem.
resolve
(Music) To cause (a chord or tone) to undergo resolution
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  1. (Music) To cause (a chord or tone) to undergo resolution
  2. To cause (a person) to reach a decision:
  3. To find the solution or an answer to (a problem); solve
solve
To find or provide the correct or a satisfactory solution to (a problem)
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  1. To find or provide the correct or a satisfactory solution to (a problem)
  2. To solve an equation:
unravel
To become unraveled:
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  1. To become unraveled:
  2. To fall apart, disintegrate, collapse, etc.
  3. To clarify the elements of (something mysterious or baffling); solve:
figure out
(Idiomatic) To calculate.
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  1. (Idiomatic) To calculate.
  2. (Idiomatic) To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
justify
To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid:
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  1. To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid:
  2. (Law) To show an adequate reason for something done
  3. To prove to be qualified as a bondsman.
rationalize
To think in a rational or rationalistic manner
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  1. To think in a rational or rationalistic manner
  2. To explain or interpret on rational grounds
  3. To explain rationally:

Synonym Study

  • Construe suggests a careful interpretation of something especially where meaning is ambiguous her silence was construed as agreement
  • To interpret is to bring out meanings not immediately apparent, as by translation, searching insight, or special knowledge how do you interpret his behavior?
  • Elucidate implies a shedding light upon by clear and specific explanation, illustration, etc. to elucidate the country's foreign policy
  • Explicate implies a scholarly analysis or exposition that is developed in detail the explication of a Biblical passage
  • Expound implies a systematic and thorough explanation, often by a person having expert knowledge to expound a theory
  • Explain implies making clear or intelligible something that is not known or understood to explain how a machine operates
Find another word for explain. In this page you can discover 97 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for explain, like: explicate, elucidate, illustrate, assign a meaning to, interpret, account for, clarify, illuminate, make clear, describe and expound.

Sentence Examples

  • There are three small rooms upstairs but we'll explain about them later.

  • Let him explain all of it to his mother.

  • It was hard to explain how her beauty was different than so many others, but it was.

  • I tried to think of the best way to explain my feelings.

  • She so wanted a word from him that would explain to her what had happened and to which she could find no answer.

More sentences →

Words that mention explain in the Dictionary

Words near explain in the Thesaurus