equivocate vs explain

equivocate

verb
  • To render equivocal or ambiguous. 

  • To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive. 

explain

verb
  • To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of. 

  • To give a valid excuse for past behavior. 

  • To make something plain or intelligible. 

How often have the words equivocate and explain occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )