explainer

noun

ex·​plain·​er ik-ˈsplā-nər How to pronounce explainer (audio)
plural explainers
: a person or thing that explains something: such as
a
: a person who makes something understandable
Modern day presidents must be good explainers of a complex world …Jonathan Alter et al.
b
: an article, podcast, graphic, etc., that explains something complex or not widely understood : an in-depth treatment of a topic
Each half-hour episode contained a big explainer of a complicated issue. The list of topics sounds like the arcane scraps from the cutting-room floor of most newsrooms—the amount of hidden sugar in food, civil forfeiture, the false hopes of lotteries, the failure of the American government to safeguard people who served as interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan.David Carr
Inside, the issue contains a long explainer piece on how the subprime mess came to be and how it wreaked havoc on Citi, Wall Street and especially Merrill.Yvette Kantrow

Examples of explainer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Explain It to Me The Explain It to Me newsletter answers an interesting question from an audience member each week, delivering a digestible explainer from one of our journalists. Keren Landman, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024 If you're headed to your first white elephant gift exchange, here's a quick explainer on what's about to happen. Nena Farrell, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024 The Post’s voter guide is also here to help, with explainers of ballot measures and stories on major races in the election. Tina Griego, The Denver Post, 31 Oct. 2024 TikTok is also awash with explainers on how to dress up as Moo Deng, the Thai pygmy hippo that, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, is the one of the internet’s current obsessions. Louis Staples, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for explainer 

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of explainer was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near explainer

Cite this Entry

“Explainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explainer. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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