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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Back at Taylor’s house, Mayci and Mikayla excuse themselves to answer a call from Mayci’s husband, Jacob, expecting a full report of what’s been going on at Vanderpump Villa.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026 -
None of that excuses the crimes.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Right now, Apple’s AirPods Max are leading the charge with a $120 price drop, which makes these excellent headphones a little easier to justify.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
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Both fatal shootings remain under investigation by the Office of the Inspector General to determine if the use of force was justified under Connecticut law.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The micropipette allowed the researchers to measure electrical activity in the neuron, Gray explained.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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The doctor explained how Moïse had to be listed under several aliases while being treated.—
Tania Francois,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
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 15 Mar. 2026.
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