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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuates
Verb
-
Satisfy gets a lot of flack for its prices, but this running jacket justifies the price tag thanks to its effective modularity and (extremely) lightweight design.—
Will Porter,
Outside,
4 Jan. 2026 -
While there are legitimate concerns throughout the Midwest about future reliability due to new data centers and their substantial power consumption, there is no looming emergency that justifies the administration’s action here.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Researchers emphasized that none of these conditions excuses Hitler’s actions or policies.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Their cry is not against the faith itself but against distorted theology that excuses cruelty.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But as Lilly explains to Ronnie, telling the truth now won’t do anything to absolve Hank — everyone already thinks Lilly is crazy.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
At the train station when Kelley is about to depart, Howie explains his backstory to keep Kelley from leaving.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Extenuates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuates. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share