as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
don't even try to extenuate their vandalism of the cemetery with the old refrain of "Boys will be boys"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuate
Verb
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For Barbara, impending death does not inspire a moral awakening, and Rosenberg never gives the reader an origin story that would excuse her cruelty.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026 -
Please excuse the pun, but the One Battle After Another star looks like a literal cascading waterfall at the Oscars 2026.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While discussing current events, and specifically the military conflict with Iran, Reid said that Iranians were justified in disliking the United States due to the 1953 coup in which Iran’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown, an effort that Great Britain and the United States aided.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
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All this fuels engagement algorithms that the platforms use to justify their advertising rates and their stock prices.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Naturally, Farke was not about to reveal his hand in a press conference, but explained what will go through his mind ahead of Saturday evening.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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And her book goes a long way in explaining why.—
Alexander Kaplan,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
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Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
12 Apr. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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