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Also available:
World English Dictionary
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explain away
explain away
transitive verb
Definition:
minimize seriousness of something:
to give excuses, reasons, or explanations for something in an attempt to show that it is less serious, important, or problematic than it seems
Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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