Verbs for Explanations

to clear up

Verb

/klˈɪɹ ˈʌp/

Select Your Language

to explain or resolve confusion, making something easier to understand or less ambiguous

to spell out

Verb

/spˈɛl ˈaʊt/

Select Your Language

to clearly and explicitly explain something

to simplify

Verb

/sɪmp.lə.faɪ/ or /simp.lē.fai/

s

s

i

ɪ

m

m

p

p

l

l

i

ə

f

f

y

aɪ

Select Your Language

to make something easier or less complex to understand, do, etc.

to define

Verb

/dɪ.faɪn/ or /di.fain/

d

d

e

ɪ

f

f

i

aɪ

n

n

e

Select Your Language

to say the meaning of an expression or word, particularly in a dictionary

to elaborate

Verb

/ɪ.læ.bɜ.reɪt/ or /i.lā.bē.reit/

e

ɪ

l

l

a

æ

b

b

o

ɜ

r

r

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to give more information to make the understanding more complete

to expand on

Verb

/ɛkspˈænd ˈɑːn/

Select Your Language

to provide more details, information, or a more comprehensive explanation about a particular topic or idea

to summarize

Verb

/sə.mɜ.raɪz/ or /sē.mē.raiz/

s

s

u

ə

mm

m

a

ɜ

r

r

i

aɪ

z

z

e

Select Your Language

to give a short and simplified version that covers the main points of something

to sum up

Verb

/sˈʌm ˈʌp/

Select Your Language

to briefly state the most important parts or facts of something

to outline

Verb

/aʊt.laɪn/ or /aoot.lain/

o

a

u

ʊ

t

t

l

l

i

aɪ

n

n

e

Select Your Language

to give a brief description of something excluding the details

to paraphrase

Verb

/pɛ.rəf.reɪz/ or /pe.rēf.reiz/

p

p

a

ɛ

r

r

a

ə

ph

f

r

r

a

eɪ

s

z

e

Select Your Language

to express the meaning of something written or spoken with a different choice of words

to encapsulate

Verb

/ɛn.kæp.sjʊ.leɪt/ or /en.kāp.syoo.leit/

e

ɛ

n

n

c

k

a

æ

p

p

s

s

u

ə

l

l

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to represent something in a short and brief manner

to recap

Verb

/ri.kæp/ or /ri.kāp/

r

r

e

i

c

k

a

æ

p

p

Select Your Language

to give a brief summary, especially by reviewing key points or events

to specify

Verb

/spɛ.sə.faɪ/ or /spe.sē.fai/

s

s

p

p

e

ɛ

c

s

i

ə

f

f

y

aɪ

Select Your Language

to clearly define or state specific details, characteristics, or requirements

to depict

Verb

/dɪ.pɪkt/ or /di.pikt/

d

d

e

ɪ

p

p

i

ɪ

c

k

t

t

Select Your Language

to describe a specific subject, scene, person, etc.

to portray

Verb

/pɔrt.reɪ/ or /pawrt.rei/

p

p

o

ɔ

r

r

t

t

r

r

a

e

y

ɪ

Select Your Language

to describe something or someone through words

to describe

Verb

/dɪsk.raɪb/ or /disk.raib/

d

d

e

ɪ

s

s

c

k

r

r

i

aɪ

b

b

e

Select Your Language

to give details about someone or something to say what they are like

to profile

Verb

/proʊ.faɪl/ or /prooo.fail/

p

p

r

r

o

oʊ

f

f

i

aɪ

l

l

e

Select Your Language

to provide a detailed description of someone or something

to detail

Verb

/di.teɪl/ or /di.teil/

d

d

e

i

t

t

ai

eɪ

l

l

Select Your Language

to explain something thoroughly and with specific information

to characterize

Verb

/kɛ.rək.tɜ.raɪz/ or /ke.rēk.tē.raiz/

ch

k

a

ɛ

r

r

a

ə

c

k

t

t

e

ɜ

r

r

i

aɪ

z

z

e

Select Your Language

to describe the qualities of someone or something in a certain manner