Thesaurus results for EXTENUATE

extenuate

verb

ik-ˈsten-yə-ˌwāt

Definition of extenuate

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

Unable to picture evil as anything other than devilish, critics accused Arendt of excusing the perpetrators and blaming the victims.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
That is not to excuse the recklessness behind the wheel which could feasibly have led to a more serious, potentially tragic incident on the M25 and M3 motorways.

— Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of excuse

Verb

The questions to answer The FDA laid out key questions for the committee to answer about Galleri, centered on whether the clinical data show the test detects cancers reliably and early enough to justify use of such terms in its marketing.

— Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Meloni’s government argues that rising electricity demand, climate targets and energy security concerns exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine justify bringing nuclear energy back into the country’s power mix.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of justify

Verb

By comparison, strong fluid flows elongated the cells and caused DNA damage, a crucial control detail that explains why past experiments might have yielded misleading results.

— Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Rowe explained that someone buying a pair of running shoes often sends them back after wearing it for a day to try on the fit.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of explain

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.

Browse Nearby Words

extents

extenuate

extenuated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of extenuate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

epistemic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes