extenuation

noun

Definition of extenuationnext
as in confession

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of extenuation Not surprisingly, fellow-travelers on the left criticized Conquest either from a wish to disbelieve the Soviet horrors or from an ideological sympathy that compelled extenuation of them. — Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuation
  1. confession
  2. acknowledgment
  3. atonement
  4. vindication
  5. out
  6. rationale
  7. rationalization
  8. justification
Noun
  • This week's quiz spotlights bikini moments and deeply personal confessions.
    — , FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the shadows of the Catholic church, nuns and women have long endured abuse at the hands of priests — insidious and tactful grooming, silenced by confession, and hidden through systemic cover-ups.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of confession
Noun
  • As much an acknowledgment of survival as a rallying cry, the song draws out sadness as well as satisfaction from the audience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • For more than three decades, international acknowledgment has been Somaliland’s diplomatic center of gravity.
    — Mahbub Abdillahi, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of acknowledgment
Noun
  • The person receives the opportunity for atonement; the consequence is assigned elsewhere.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The holiday, starting Friday night, marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of atonement
Noun
  • Staring down an assembly of the outraged, Digger spells out the ruthless logic of global capitalism and claims the world’s fuel dependency as the ultimate vindication.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Choi, a field engineer who has since returned to the same Georgia plant, said the claim is about vindication.
    — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of vindication
Noun
  • The Falcons went three-and-out on their second drive, a series done in when a check-down throw on 2nd-and-7 to Robinson was unproductive and then the Falcons were penalized for having too many players in the huddle on third down.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Jackson Chourio and Bauers started the bottom half with singles and first baseman Jonathan Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.
    — Ronald Blum, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of out
Noun
  • The official rationale was to clamp down on unauthorized immigration and to combat fraud.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • For a brand like Hermès, traditionally known for understatement rather than red carpet dressing, the rationale is less obvious.
    — Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of rationale
Noun
  • The smaller cloud companies in recent weeks have been at the forefront of this rationalization push.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, the CEO told WWD that his plan to reignite business included restructuring its debt, cost trimming and a rationalization processes, including a reduction in brand selection and stock-keeping units per brand, a process initiated in 2024.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of rationalization
Noun
  • The department did not respond to a request to share its legal justification for ignoring the Biden-era changes.
    — Cory Turner, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
  • All three said West Point appears to be circumventing the judge's ruling by using a different justification to continue to enforce its speech rules.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of justification

Browse Nearby Words

extenuating
extenuation
extenuations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Extenuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuation. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All