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Difficulty: MediumPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

During the parliamentary inquiry into the missing funds, the minister attempted to ________ the glaring irregularities in the budget report as mere clerical oversights. Which of the following phrasal verbs best completes the sentence?

  1. explain awayAnswer
  2. B
    explain off
  3. C
    explain out
  4. D
    explain over

Answer

The phrasal verb 'explain away' correctly completes the sentence to mean minimizing or excusing serious irregularities.
The phrasal verb 'explain away' means to show why one is not to blame for something, or to make an error or suspicious circumstance seem unimportant by giving reasons. In the given sentence, the minister tries to dismiss serious financial irregularities as harmless mistakes, making 'explain away' the only idiomatically accurate choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The subject is trying to dismiss or make serious financial irregularities seem minor and excusable ('as mere clerical oversights').
Understanding the contextual meaning determines which particle correctly alters the verb's sense.
2
Evaluate the idiomatic meaning of the phrasal verb options
'Explain away' specifically means to offer explanations that lessen the blame or make a serious fault appear trivial.
Standard British English phrasal verb conventions require matching 'explain' with 'away' when dismissing fault.

Key Concept

Phrasal Verbs with Specific Idiomatic Particles
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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