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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Metro Phoenix has the fourth-worst ozone levels in the country, but the federal government has excused the region from meeting stricter air quality standards, saying much of the pollution is beyond the state’s control.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026 -
For example, Jewish women are excused from requirements such as fasting on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, in order to prevent any potential harm to themselves or their fetus.—
Cara Berg Raunick,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But defense attorneys argued the protests weren’t as peaceful as plaintiffs’ attorneys portrayed, that officers’ actions were justified, and that the individual officers named in the suit should be entitled to public official immunity and dismissed from the lawsuit.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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McDonnell wrote in a report made public Thursday that two officers were justified in using deadly force against Lauren, 52, who pointed a gun and fired at officers during a standoff in the backyard of her Eagle Rock home in April.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Labeled Hoard 1 and Hoard 2, archaeologists explained that Hoard 1 held the largest collection of copper alloy and iron metalwork, while 88 items were found in Hoard 2.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
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Poplawski explained how there are also unknown processes that violate the balance between a family of particles called baryons and their antimatter counterparts, the antibaryons.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sterilized, whitewashed, controlled, censored – all those words apply.—
Jim Axelrod,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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In hushed towns like Locorotondo and Martina Franca, whitewashed lanes curve unexpectedly, church bells peal away the hours, and olive trees cast ever longer shadows onto dusty squares.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Extenuated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuated. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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