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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palliate
Verb
-
Distraught over the proceedings, Shepperd excused herself to use the restroom.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
-
After Chapman and police went into a lobby area outside the council room, a loud exchange is heard with Clark at one point excusing himself to step out of the council chambers.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
To alleviate the disparity between funders’ donation caps and nonprofits’ need for resources, Godoy suggests nonprofits share services and spaces — such as collectively pitching in for an accountant or having joint office areas — to spur teamwork while cutting costs.—
Isabel Rivera,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
-
The agent, already familiar with your size, preferences and style history, evaluates how each option might suit your physique, identifies the best price across retailers and finalizes the purchase, thus conserving your time and alleviating decision fatigue.—
Sandeep Shivam,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
But as cloud spend goes up, the need to justify cost efforts and demonstrate cost avoidance to execs will increase.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
His breezy accounts betray no anxiety to justify the expense of sending him around the world.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Therapies can relieve certain underlying issues triggering sleep paralysis, including cognitive behavioral therapy, especially the version for people with insomnia.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
8 June 2025
-
There were good reasons why Schaeffer relieved Senzatela of his first-inning duties.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
On Thursday's episode of the In the Mind of Jax Taylor podcast, Taylor explained to his sister Jenny that certain posts on social media can be triggering.—
Dayna Haffenden,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
Nivola in Lochlan’s season-ending near-death experience and Koch in a one-take episode in which Erik explains to his attorney the abuse within the Menendez household.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
That support may have helped secure Trump’s narrow path to reelection.—
Joel Shulman,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
Musk replied by threatening to shut down the Dragon spacecraft program that helps the U.S. transport astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Alongside ice rollers and chilled towels, there’s nothing more reliable for mitigating the suffocating heat than a handheld fan.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
Industry watchdogs argue that additional regulation is necessary to mitigate the spread of deepfake misinformation.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
In addition to yoga, guests can immerse themselves in floating sound baths, a tranquil, multisensory experience that combines gentle sound therapy with the soothing sensation of water for deep relaxation.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
The color expert points out the hue's soothing nature and refreshing vibe that turn an ordinary bathroom into a personal retreat.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share