as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
don't even try to extenuate their vandalism of the cemetery with the old refrain of "Boys will be boys"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuate
Verb
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Taake isn’t the only Jan. 6 figure to find trouble waiting after being excused for actions on Jan. 6.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Jan. 2025 -
At best, these pardons excuse the violence that took place on January 6, and at worst, encourage that kind of violence in the future by essentially promising would-be insurrectionists forgiveness.—
Vox Staff,
Vox,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Then there’s the ruling’s decision that national security could justify potential speech suppression.—
Lauren Feiner,
The Verge,
24 Jan. 2025
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That’s a pretty big gap and would require an equally large difference in their per-minute play to justify putting Hunter first.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Now, in a small hospital where soft sobs echoed off the sterile linoleum floors, Aaron Easton, the boy Sara married who grew up to be Marysville’s police chief, explained what happened: Sara had shot herself in the head.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Jan. 2025
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But money alone doesn’t explain the absence of conscience.—
Todd L. Pittinsky,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2024
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Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days.—
Longreads,
Longreads,
12 Apr. 2024
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Thesaurus Entries Near extenuate
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“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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