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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuate
Verb
-
But this uncertainty does not excuse us from continuing to operate our businesses.—
PJ Bain,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025 -
The judge also reasoned that Pryor’s failure to bring a claim in a timely manner can’t be excused by fraudulent concealment.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
However, the Commission did not indicate any sudden or unexpected event that would justify the urgency.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Lay of the land Advocates for the Golden Dome point to recent events to justify the program.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
Police officials will explain how the new police drones can be remotely deployed and piloted toward the scene of an incident from docks placed across the city.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
26 July 2025
-
Malone explained that over time, however, your brain adapts by adding more adenosine receptors, which makes caffeine less effective at the same dose.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
-
Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share