extenuates

verb

present tense third-person singular of extenuate
as in justifies
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 extenuates
  1. justifies
  2. excuses
  3. explains
Verb
  • The highest completion rate in the test still belonged to Opus, and the hardest work still justifies frontier pricing.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • But the evidence does not support the claim that noncitizen voting is occurring at a scale that justifies burdening millions of eligible Americans or overriding state election systems with a sweeping federal mandate.
    — Reid Ribble, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of justifies
Verb
  • In another instance, Mecklenburg allegedly excuses skeptical grand jurors from serving after arguing with them.
    — Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 9 June 2026
  • With no more patients in the waiting room, Dua excuses herself to see Haynes in the OR, where medical resident Lee has begun the procedure.
    — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 8 June 2026
Definition of excuses
Verb
  • Lobello explains why soccer is such an efficient form of exercise and what the World Cup could mean for adults looking to get active.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
  • While sharing her Beauty Secrets with Vogue, the 20-year-old explains that the bittersweet ballad was inspired by a Japanese phrase that means, essentially, everything beautiful is temporary.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 July 2026
Definition of explains
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Extenuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuates. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on extenuates

Nglish: Translation of extenuates for Spanish Speakers

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