diff --git a/src/nlsat/nlsat_explain.cpp b/src/nlsat/nlsat_explain.cpp
index 1c2d10c77..6c3279f6c 100644
--- a/src/nlsat/nlsat_explain.cpp
+++ b/src/nlsat/nlsat_explain.cpp
@@ -1116,7 +1116,7 @@ namespace nlsat {
             for (auto p: m_todo.m_set)
                 ps.push_back(p);
             
-            var x = m_todo.extract_max_polys(ps);
+            m_todo.extract_max_polys(ps);
             // Remark: after vanishing coefficients are eliminated, ps may not contain max_x anymore
             
             polynomial_ref_vector samples(m_pm);