Explain
Explain verb - To make plain or understandable.
Maintain and explain are semantically related in contention topic. In some cases you can use "Maintain" instead a verb "Explain".
Maintain
Maintain verb - To state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration.
Usage example: she continued to maintain that a sewing machine would end up paying for itself since she could make her own clothes
Explain and maintain are semantically related in contention topic. Sometimes you can use "Explain" instead a verb "Maintain".
Common collocations
| attitude | explain attitude | maintain attitude |
| connection | explain connection | maintain connection |
| power | explain power | maintain power |
| strength | explain strength | maintain strength |
| Other words: relationship, presence, appearance, existence, powers. | ||
Both words in one sentence
- It's possible to explain this away — Superman, for example, had a horde of robots he had built using his superpowers to maintain the Fortress — but most don't bother.
Source: Infinite Supplies - The game does explain - in game, even - how to get and maintain a good reputation: liberate towns with High ALI, High CHA characters.
Source: Guide Dang It / Strategy -
How to Be a Superhero has an example of a swamp monster attempting to maintain a Secret Identity and trying to explain away the smell by claiming to have had 'an accident' in his pants.
Source: Embarrassing Cover Up
Cite this Source
Maintain and Explain. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/maintain
Explain & Maintain. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/maintain>.
Maintain or Explain. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/explain/maintain.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "explain" and "maintain" have occurred on timeline