as in excusing
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"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extenuating
Stats courtesy of Pro-Football Reference There were some extenuating circumstances, the most important being that Burrow did not previously play in the preseason.
—
Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Several more are under elevated pressure due to extenuating circumstances, which are outlined below and unique to each coach and his campus.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2025
This week on Prime Video’s Countdown, personally extenuating circumstances led LAPD gangs and narcotics officer Lucas Finau to break protocol and exhibit atypically audacious behavior — all during a critical juncture in Hurricane Task Force’s ongoing manhunt.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 Aug. 2025
There would be exclusions for communities facing low demand, economic distress, natural disasters and other extenuating circumstances.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Several more are under elevated pressure due to extenuating circumstances, which are outlined below and unique to each coach and his campus.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2025
This week on Prime Video’s Countdown, personally extenuating circumstances led LAPD gangs and narcotics officer Lucas Finau to break protocol and exhibit atypically audacious behavior — all during a critical juncture in Hurricane Task Force’s ongoing manhunt.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 Aug. 2025
There would be exclusions for communities facing low demand, economic distress, natural disasters and other extenuating circumstances.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuating
Verb
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Celebrating or excusing violence is abhorrent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Sep. 2025
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Procedures for excusing or deferring jury duty differs by county, according to the state’s judicial website.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The survey also found that 30% of finance leaders in the early stages of AI adoption struggle with justifying ROI, compared with 21% of those further along the AI journey, or AI leaders.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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The targets are those film companies and institutions that are complicit and are white-washing or justifying the genocide and its apartheid regime.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The National Immigration Law Center recently published a guide explaining some of the potential risks of using the app, such as leaving the country without closing an immigration court case and becoming ineligible for a future visa.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Sometimes explaining one’s affinity for a specific Pokémon is difficult; since Satoshi Tajiri has been dreaming up these pet-warrior-oddballs, many have historically had a certain je ne sais quoi.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extenuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuating. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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