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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
That does not excuse, but that’s his personal [life].—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
9 Nov. 2025
-
But missing Curry did not excuse the team’s lapses.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Eileen Fagen, owner of The Fitness Factory of Charlotte, says strength training along with cardio can alleviate some symptoms related to perimenopause.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The 34-year-old slugger would be a massive offensive upgrade to Casas, while also alleviating his defensive downside by playing first base.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Critics also question whether demand will continue to grow at a fast enough pace to justify the investment.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Some investors are also skeptical whether future profit growth will continue to justify the enormous amounts of spending taking place.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Earlier this year the Department of Transportation offered bonuses to retirement aged controllers to stay on the job longer to help relieve the existing shortage, but the shutdown seems to be working against that effort.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
This past weekend, the FAA reported staffing shortages at dozens of facilities, prompting the agency to slow air traffic to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who did show up to work.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since proper vesicle recycling is crucial for brain communication, this mechanism could explain why patients experience diverse symptoms – from movement problems to memory loss – depending on which brain regions are affected first.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Speaking on The Allison Hagendorf Show, Perry, the lead singer, explained just how the stars aligned for 4 Non Blondes to take the stage together once again.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For example, Smith said, in a major city during a holiday weekend, Prepared’s technology helped reduce the number of emergency calls operators had to handle by by 33% because AI was able to deal with non-critical calls like noise complaints.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Han says the funds raised through the Hong Kong listing will help the robotaxi firm continue to spend on R&D and deployment.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
To mitigate the impact, Fields said the company is using a mix of price adjustments, supply chain diversification, and international expansion.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
-
As inflation concerns dominated last year’s election, polling showed that mitigating climate change, one of the governor’s signature issues, was not a top issue among voters.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Why not start things off by repainting the living room—there are many shades that designers absolutely love for their soothing factor.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Entering a bedroom that’s painted a light blue color feels soothing and relaxing; a bathroom that’s a soft shade of green is pleasant to bathe in.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share