Thesaurus results for EXTENUATE

extenuate

verb

ik-ˈsten-yə-ˌwāt

Definition of extenuate

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"

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuate

Verb

Or targeted other relatives to be hosts, with the precedent of your sister-in-law’s apparently being excused entirely on those grounds.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Look, saying a team should have played better doesn't excuse a questionable call that helps decide the game.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of excuse

Verb

Between those grounds and the pool, there's enough here to justify leaving part of the day unscheduled.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
In this case, the AI agent carried over an earlier instruction not to send any Slack messages to OpenAI’s team, using that to justify turning off the alerts.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of justify

Verb

For next year’s admissions, institutions would have to publish more detailed selection criteria and explain rejections when applicants request reasons.

— Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.

— Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

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.

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extents

extenuate

extenuated

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“Extenuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extenuate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of extenuate

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