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
  • Microsoft’s stock climbed close to 15% after its earnings, which Cohan attributes to revenue growth that justifies its AI infrastructure spending and is bringing it more business.
    — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • For companies looking to recover duties already paid, Sharad said the first step is determining who served as the importer of record and whether the potential refund justifies the administrative effort.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of justifies
Verb
  • Instead, some attack our business's fees, as though changing the subject somehow excuses copying another company's intellectual property.
    — Brian Taylor, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • In another instance, Mecklenburg allegedly excuses skeptical grand jurors from serving after arguing with them.
    — Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Definition of excuses
Verb
  • On average, the same place experiences totality only once every 300 to 400 years, which explains why they’re often described as once-in-a-lifetime events.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In Meridian, that’s a motorcycle In Meridian, officials are confident that Idaho law already has a section that explains the rules for e-motorcycles, the increasingly popular devices that can in some cases get up to 80 mph.
    — Rose Evans August 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Aug. 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on extenuates

Nglish: Translation of extenuates for Spanish Speakers

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