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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Cook County Judge Angela Petrone ordered the juror, who appeared to recover, excused and subbed in one of the alternates.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025 -
Without excusing Weinstein’s thuggish qualities for a second, Evans was never the physical caricature of the studio exec.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Some were concerned the data was being used to justify efforts to combat climate change, although the rising cost of weather disasters is due to more than just global warming.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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This would effectively challenge pharmaceutical companies to justify their pricing to America, leading to equitable pricing.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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Trump further explained his stance during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, which aired on Tuesday night.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
14 May 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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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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Cite this Entry
“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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