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
There are extenuating circumstances.
—
Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Loan officers may also explore why your credit score is low and consider extenuating circumstances.
—David McMillin, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Six months later, Mak, at the time facing murder charges, was released from jail after his lawyer argued there were extenuating circumstances that made the case different from most murder prosecutions.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
One extenuating circumstance for brands such as Missoni and Etro, which has also been rumored to be for sale for years, is that the founding families are still invested in those companies and can put the brakes on any sale.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Loan officers may also explore why your credit score is low and consider extenuating circumstances.
—David McMillin, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
Six months later, Mak, at the time facing murder charges, was released from jail after his lawyer argued there were extenuating circumstances that made the case different from most murder prosecutions.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
One extenuating circumstance for brands such as Missoni and Etro, which has also been rumored to be for sale for years, is that the founding families are still invested in those companies and can put the brakes on any sale.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extenuating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuating
Verb
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But there’s no excusing Josh Allen’s four turnovers.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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This isn’t about excusing others for poor behavior.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And that could be the difference between justifying a refinance application in today's economic climate or having to wait for the Fed to take action again later this year.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Who gets so far at work without thinking through — and long since justifying — the consequences?—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Therefore, telling the story in graphic form on behalf of Ukrainians themselves, explaining the preconditions for Russia’s attempts to erase Ukraine as a sovereign country and Ukrainians as an ethnic group, became extremely relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Nicotine use had the strongest impact on heart health, explaining 34% of the link between late bedtime and heart disease.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extenuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuating. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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