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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And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026 -
No grievance, no workplace conflict, no personal resentment ever excuses violence.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Conflicts abroad, such as in Iran, that may disrupt domestic oil resources could also be used as an argument to justify the need to drill, Sivas said.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Using a synesthetic logic all his own, Torres explains why Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson is orange, Catholicism is purple, and navy blue is the nefarious color that secretly runs the world.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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For an overview of small business tax responsibilities, see IRS Publication 583, which explains general filing and recordkeeping requirements.—
Nancy Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 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 5 Apr. 2026.
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