A good example gives the learner a place to begin testing the idea.

An explanation tells you what something is; an example gives you something to push against. Until there is a concrete case, a learner has nothing to vary, no way to find the edges, and no means of discovering what they have misunderstood. That is why abstract teaching can be perfectly clear and completely unusable.

When you next explain something, lead with one specific case and let the principle come out of it. If you are the one learning, ask for an example before asking for more explanation.