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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Actors like Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny and Brian Cox have spoken out against their peers who use Method to excuse their own bad behavior.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025 -
Plumlee, who had been excused from Monday’s media day activities for personal reasons, has continued to be absent from practice this week and hasn’t spoken about his second tour of duty with Charlotte yet.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On September 24, Judge Smith permanently enjoined DHS from enforcing broad new immigration compliance conditions on a wide range of preparedness grants, ruling the agency had exceeded its statutory authority and failed to justify departing from longstanding grant practices.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Among customers and in financial markets, skepticism is rising as some question whether the massive investment in AI will ever be justified by revenues.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reliever Luke Weaver melted down again, and then seemed lost trying to explain it postgame.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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In the show, Gein strikes Henry with a piece of wood, then drags his body into the woods and stages a brush fire to explain Henry's death.—
JR Radcliffe,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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 8 Oct. 2025.
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