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
-
Given the profusion of riad tourist accommodation in Marrakech, you’d be excused for thinking the buildings originated as hotels.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026 -
Homeowners are also excused from the annual tax if the second home’s owner or the owner’s family is getting medical care in Greater Vancouver and lives outside that area, if the home is being repaired or substantially renovated.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, even some advocates of free trade have come around to the idea that certain tariffs can be justified on strategic and national-security grounds, especially when working with an avowedly mercantilist country like China.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Those benefits justified a rule holding employers responsible when hybrid workers cause others injury while moving between their home and office.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Vrabel, meanwhile, stumbled though multiple press conferences while trying to both avoid and explain the issue without ever really providing details.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
This may explain why credit markets barely budged after last week’s spending figures.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
-
Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
12 Apr. 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 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
