1
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
don't try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to alleviate
to make more bearable or less severe
this medicine should palliate your cough at least a little
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of palliate
Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2024
Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.
—Longreads, 12 Apr. 2024
Long hours of sitting masquerade as wellness, insecurity is palliated by snacks, and flexibility’s just another name for no time of your own.
—Curbed, 4 Jan. 2023
Rhys drank heavily to palliate her burdens, and was known for tirades and other skunky behavior.
—New York Times, 20 June 2022
The friends are teen-agers, both outcasts of a kind, lonely and looking for ways to palliate their solitude.
—The New Yorker, 2 May 2022
Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers.
—Emilio Morenatti, ajc, 13 Feb. 2022
In an effort to palliate these advocates, legislators offered a work-around, passing legislation to relax the restrictions on bail funds, allowing them to post higher bails and to bail out people facing Class-A felony charges.
—Nick Pinto, The New Republic, 6 Apr. 2020
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2024
Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.
—Longreads, 12 Apr. 2024
Long hours of sitting masquerade as wellness, insecurity is palliated by snacks, and flexibility’s just another name for no time of your own.
—Curbed, 4 Jan. 2023
Rhys drank heavily to palliate her burdens, and was known for tirades and other skunky behavior.
—New York Times, 20 June 2022
The friends are teen-agers, both outcasts of a kind, lonely and looking for ways to palliate their solitude.
—The New Yorker, 2 May 2022
Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers.
—Emilio Morenatti, ajc, 13 Feb. 2022
In an effort to palliate these advocates, legislators offered a work-around, passing legislation to relax the restrictions on bail funds, allowing them to post higher bails and to bail out people facing Class-A felony charges.
—Nick Pinto, The New Republic, 6 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palliate
Verb
-
The judge found her involvement in the fraud scheme during that period undermined her eligibility and that there were no mitigating circumstances to excuse her conduct.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
None of this, of course, is to excuse what Kyle said to Amanda, but an attempt to explain his psychology and illustrate how relationships on these shows are more doomed than Katy Perry’s pop career.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lack of communication from airlines during disruptions is a major complaint from customers across carriers, and anything companies can do to alleviate that will help with those frustrations.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
By this point, experts were warning that half a million people in Gaza were at risk of starvation, and organizations such as the Rabbinical Assembly, an association of Conservative rabbis, were urging immediate action to alleviate civilian suffering.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Policies were justified not with reference to morality or metaphysics but with citations of white papers.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Conflicts abroad, such as in Iran, that may disrupt domestic oil resources could also be used as an argument to justify the need to drill, Sivas said.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many agree that relieving economic distress must be an immediate focus, but while some believe that should entail a gradual, socialist-style liberalization of the economy, others want a total transition to free-market capitalism, including more foreign investment and private enterprise.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Sonoma Artistic Director Carl Spence was relieved to get delivery of the film to the festival in time for his opening night.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iannarelli explained that a core element of de-escalation is projecting calmness, as individuals often mimic those who appear angry and agitated.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The justices did not issue an opinion explaining their decision to stay Duckett’s execution.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Going to a local bike shop instead of buying online can help, enabling riders to ask questions, take a test ride and learn what’s legal and what isn’t.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Liba helped create a WhatsApp group that allowed participants to engage in critical dialogue about Israel.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is pivotal in mitigating the risk of wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Stevenson says a balanced portfolio typically includes a mix of equities, bonds, cash, and real assets, and that this mix helps to mitigate potential losses from any single investment.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This Burt’s Bees set has six travel-sized mani-pedi essentials, including a soothing foot cream and buttery hand salve that protects dry, chapped skin.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Formulated with organic snail secretion filtrate and hyaluronic acid, this serum soothes stressed skin and significantly boosts moisture with fast-acting hydration.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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