explaining
Spelling it out
Explaining is making something clear or understandable to someone else.
You explain a concept, a process, a decision, or your reasoning: Let me explain how this works, She explained why she was late.
Explaining often involves breaking down complexity or filling gaps in someone's knowledge.
To have some explaining to do is to owe someone an account of your actions.
To make understood
- simplifyMake less complex
- demystifyExplain something confusing
- illuminateSupply with radiance
- shed lightTo clarify or explain
make clear · break down · unravel · disentangle · decode · lay out · spell out · unpack
Convey knowledge or orders
- demonstrateShow or prove something
- tutorIndividual instruction provider
- mentorTrusted wisdom-giving advisor
- coachOne who instructs
guide · lecture · walk through · brief · train · educate · drill · model
Explain with invented reasons
- justifyProvide adequate grounds for
- defendProtect from harm
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
- account forOffer justification for
vindicate · legitimize · reason · argue · support · motivation · rationale · grounds
Narrate or retally
- describeConvey in words
- relateConnect or recount
- tellConvey information verbally
- chronicleOrdered historical record
detail · report · convey · lay out · walk through · summarize · outline · delineate
Extract or convey meaning
- dissectCut open to examine
- deconstructAnalyze by breaking down
- examineStudy with attention
- exploreTravel to discover
probe · investigate · scrutinize · parse · unpack · critique · evaluate · assess
elucidate
To make understood
- simplifyMake less complex
- demystifyExplain something confusing
- illuminateSupply with radiance
shed light · make clear · break down · unravel · disentangle · decode · lay out · spell out · unpack · disambiguate
instruct
Convey knowledge or orders
- demonstrateShow or prove something
- tutorIndividual instruction provider
- mentorTrusted wisdom-giving advisor
coach · guide · lecture · walk through · brief · train · educate · drill · model · scaffold
rationalize
Explain with invented reasons
account for · vindicate · legitimize · reason · argue · support · motivation · rationale · grounds · basis
recount
Narrate or retally
chronicle · detail · report · convey · lay out · walk through · summarize · outline · delineate · reconstruct
interpret
Extract or convey meaning
- dissectCut open to examine
- deconstructAnalyze by breaking down
- examineStudy with attention
explore · probe · investigate · scrutinize · parse · unpack · critique · evaluate · assess · contextualize
- communicatingtalking, speaking, telling, sharing, expressing
- conversationlistening, talk, talking, chat, speaking
- teachingteaching, lesson plans, instructing, educating, courses
- excusesexcuse, not my fault, overslept, alibi, excuses
- explainingclarifying, elaborating, elucidating, expounding, interpreting
- speaking practiceconversation, role play, role-play, fluency, drills
explainingconfusing
Causing mental uncertainty
obscuring · obfuscating · complicating · confounding · muddling
explainingconcealing
Keeping something secret
hiding · withholding · asking · questioning · suppressing
explainingdismissing
Removing from position
glossing over · oversimplifying · ignoring · brushing off · hand-waving
- explaining awayDismissing through justification
explain, explanation, explained, explains, unexplained, explanatory, explicate, explanations, explain away