explain oneself
explain oneself {v. phr.}
1. To make your meaning plainer; make your first statement clear.
When we didn't understand Fritz, he went on to explain himself.
2. To give a good reason for something you did or failed to do which seems wrong.
When Jack brought Mary home at three o'clock in the morning, her father asked him to explain himself.
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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms