as in excused
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 extenuated
Verb
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Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026 -
If this was 2023 and the Lightning were coming off three successive Stanley Cup final appearances, a valiant first-round exit would be excused.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
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His attorney cited Meade's oral and written accounts of what happened, and said the shooting was justified.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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Authorities said a fourth one was ruled to be justified by self-defense.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Talking to Vogue, Lauren Sánchez Bezos explained the inspiration behind her Schiaparelli gown.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
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Other factors, such as a decline in physical activity and hormonal shifts, play a role, Collen explained.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The island’s whitewashed, clifftop village offers romantic views of the Aegean Sea, and a steep, zig-zagging path climbs up the hillside to a church.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2026
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Sterilized, whitewashed, controlled, censored – all those words apply.—
Jim Axelrod,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Extenuated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuated. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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