as in excusing
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"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extenuating
Citing these extenuating circumstances, Ford approached the administration late last year to request temporary tariff relief.
—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Typically only available under extenuating circumstances, the IRS determines your eligibility for OIC based on your assets, expenses, and income.
—
Kat Tretina,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
The last four Wednesday games were necessitated by calendar quirks and unusual extenuating circumstances.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
If there are extenuating circumstances, a government agency can request an extension and deliver records within 10 business days, and Senate Bill 107 would have increased that time period to 15 working days.
—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Typically only available under extenuating circumstances, the IRS determines your eligibility for OIC based on your assets, expenses, and income.
—
Kat Tretina,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
The last four Wednesday games were necessitated by calendar quirks and unusual extenuating circumstances.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
If there are extenuating circumstances, a government agency can request an extension and deliver records within 10 business days, and Senate Bill 107 would have increased that time period to 15 working days.
—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuating
Verb
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The center also alleges that the APA has put up roadblocks to allowing an official Jewish affinity group to form, while excusing inflammatory language about Zionism from an Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and North African affinity group.
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Plus, our governor issued a memo excusing fans from delays caused by celebrating.
Verb
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The article emphasizes that effective communication of difficult decisions requires not only clear explanation but also genuine empathy for how people feel, rather than merely justifying actions.
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And yet at the start of the Mass, a priest read aloud a statement justifying the consecrations as a necessary defense of the faith and criticizing how the Catholic Church today had deviated from tradition.
Verb
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Infographic explaining Euclid's survey ESA The original image was captured in black and white, but color was added using observations from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope located in Hawaii.
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The original is a minor Harding work, Bacon said, explaining why judges might not have recognized Allan’s submission as a re-creation.
Cite this Entry
“Extenuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuating. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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