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
  • And because of the scheduling changes cited above, the number of games no longer justifies the cost.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • That is the premium lane with fewer tokens, priced for the work that justifies them.
    — Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of justifies
Verb
  • Any person who celebrates, encourages, or excuses actions like these is fundamentally wrong.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For me, the larger question is not whether artistic behavior excuses transgression, but how to hold artistic achievement and ethical accountability together without allowing one to erase the other.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of excuses
Verb
  • Here, The Athletic explains who York is, his background and his relationship to Leeds.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The album, Cole explains, became as much about the support surrounding heartbreak as heartbreak itself.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 25 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 27 Aug. 2026.

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