explain vs figure out

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. 

figure out

verb
  • To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. 

  • To calculate. 

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