Exonerate and Explain away

Exonerate

Exonerate verb - To free from a charge of wrongdoing.

Explain away and exonerate are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Explain away" instead a verb "Exonerate".

Explain away

Explain away verb - To give the reason for or cause of.
Usage example: after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness
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Synonyms for Explain away

Exonerate and explain away are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Exonerate" instead a verb "Explain away".
Cite this Source
Explain away and Exonerate. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 02, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/exonerate/explain_away
Exonerate & Explain away. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/exonerate/explain_away>.
Explain away or Exonerate. 2016. Accessed August 02, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/exonerate/explain_away.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "exonerate" and "explain away" have occurred on timeline