PALLIATE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

palliate

verb

ˈpa-lē-ˌāt

Definition of palliate

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

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for palliate

Verb

For me, the larger question is not whether artistic behavior excuses transgression, but how to hold artistic achievement and ethical accountability together without allowing one to erase the other.

— Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
But fears of future intimidation do not excuse preemptive capitulation.

— Ivan Oransky, STAT, 31 July 2026

Definition of excuse

Verb

Adding Skubal alleviates some of the weight of that decision.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
The patented, portable Ready Rocker is ergonomically designed to help alleviate discomfort, relieve back pain, reduce stress, calm anxiety and improve sleep, fitting both deep and shallow seating with two rocking positions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of alleviate

Verb

Israel’s defense minister has justified the destruction as a strategic decision to remove any threat of Hezbollah.

— Ava Bambuck, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
However, with virtually the same design and battery life as its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 9 doesn't offer enough meaningful improvements to justify its higher starting price.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of justify

Verb

Rasa is also using AI to draft the statements that get sent to court, explaining to the judge why the expungement should be approved.

— Andrea Hsu, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026
Malloy crisscrossed the state during his first few months in office, holding 17 town meetings to explain the fiscal ticking time bomb represented by unfunded pension obligations.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

But even when screens help families make it through a busy day, Amin said many parents still feel guilty about relying on them.

— Tara Duncan, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
From there, the episode’s mommy-issues plot thickens as the real Alicent does show up at Harrenhal and Alys tries (and fails) to convince Aemond his mother is not there to help him.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of help

Verb

Some research found lockdowns to be less important in mitigating Covid mortality than other efforts such as social distancing.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Mozeliak had said the Angels should not need a total rebuild because the resources available to a major-market team should mitigate the need to tank and just play kids.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of mitigate

Browse Nearby Words

pallets

palliate

palliated

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“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of palliate

verb

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