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
-
Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
-
Now, that doesn’t excuse Amad’s extremely sloppy pass, straight to Dominik Szoboszlai, who ran through unchecked to score.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Scientists have been zapping brains to alleviate depression for decades through a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In 2024, Overland Park approved a $1 million project to improve its storm sewer systems between Antioch and Switzer Roads near Indian Creek to alleviate flooding.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Abraham Lincoln was wary of the doctrine, perceiving that any such notion of divine inevitability could be used to justify land grabs and war.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Dieck's use of deadly force was deemed justified by a critical response team, the 18th Judicial District Attorney, and an internal Aurora Police Department investigation.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The federal government has, to its credit, recently championed the use of estrogen to relieve symptoms of menopause.—
Andréa Becker,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
Menon will be relieving NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who will fly back home on a Soyuz with two cosmonauts soon after Menon’s arrival.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
The impacts of these events still feel fresh, Serpi explains through a digital translator.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Alegría credited the pair’s experienced producing partners with helping guide them through the most unfamiliar process of preparing for the final cut and getting ready for the marketing, press, distribution conversations with Amazon as well as FilmNation.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
4 May 2026
-
As pressure builds between Mars and Jupiter, quick reactions won’t help.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
To mitigate that, Sheinbaum’s government subsidizes the price of both fuels, but the move could affect other areas of Mexicans’ lives.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Adjustable criss-cross straps add an extra layer of ankle support and mitigate slipping and sliding that can cause blisters.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
But as more flyers turn to booze to soothe their nerves, the number of aggressive incidents on planes involving passengers has crept up.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Humectants pull water into the skin, occlusives create a barrier that seals moisture in and emollients soften and soothe the skin’s surface.—
Ryan Brennan
May 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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