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
Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuation
Noun
-
If music is confession, then acting is reconciliation for Ariana Grande.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In the past, other states have attempted to break the seal of confession.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The move is one of the county’s most forceful acknowledgements that a lack of access to affordable, nutritious food is a systemic crisis.—
April Quevedo,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
That was one last flourish of self-laceration, and there is definitely a matching strain of masochism in Hopkins—not so much a relish of suffering as a rueful acknowledgment that earthly woe is our due.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The term usually applied to this atonement is reconciliation.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year and is one of two High Holy Days, along with Rosh Hashanah, according to the University of Southern California and Henry Ford College.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
14 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Sunderland’s stalemate at home against Manchester City was more creditable again, and vindication of their approach to the transfer market is the fact that departures to the Africa Cup of Nations haven’t knocked them out of their stride.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Some victims of Epstein took a measure of vindication from the release – notably so in the case of Maria Farmer, whose account of complaining to the FBI about Epstein way back in 1996 was validated.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
However, Amanyara is part of American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, offering certain cardholders privileges like early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades when available, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 on-property credit.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The screens, the box-outs, the physicality that never shows up on the stat sheet but keeps games from slipping away.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the days since the raid, the White House has offered a mess of contradictory plans and rationales.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has not highlighted human rights and democracy as rationales for capturing Maduro.—
Shelley Inglis,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the month since trading Parsons, Jones has offered a steady stream of rationalizations, some of which sound more plausible than others.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Ideological stances often come after political ones, essentially post-facto rationalizations.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To say nothing about the thorny question of its genre—do Eastern European writers need to provide more explanations and justifications when using the technique of autofiction?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Parise questioned the government’s financial justification for its operation in Old Irving Park, which yielded one arrest of an undocumented immigrant but had far-reaching effects on children and other residents.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Extenuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuation. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share