explain away

For that matter, as Kaufman explains, Franco’s regime tried its best to erase or explain away the virulent antisemitism of its early years, when an elaborate conspiracy theory linking Jews, Masons and Bolsheviks, adapted wholesale from “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” was embraced as official ideology.

But we tend to justify or explain away our own contradictions.

The more Donald tries to explain away his relationship with Epstein, the more explaining he needs to do.

“About 3 million votes was the margin by which he lost the popular vote which is why I think he chose that 3 million number to try to explain away his popular vote loss,” Hasen said.

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna responded by saying "some politicians are choosing to explain away" episodes of violence.