Thesaurus results for EXTENUATED

extenuated

verb

past tense of extenuate

as in excused

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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extenuated

Verb

But my mother’s brother conveniently excused himself to the bathroom, while my aunt and other uncle turned to talk to each other.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Ovitz, meanwhile, asked to be excused from further questioning on the grounds that Ormond’s lawyers were trying to harass him with irrelevant questions.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of excused

Verb

The song delivered on the hype produced by The X Factor, and justified the screams that One Direction had already invited with their performances of cover songs.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2026
Investors are worried about whether their high prices are justified.

— Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of justified

Verb

Smith also explained what would happen if a legal challenge ultimately failed, including continuity arrangements with European partners and backup copies of Microsoft’s code held in Switzerland.

— Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Longini explained that climate change is increasing mosquito populations and lengthening their active seasons, contributing to dengue’s spread globally.

— Alex DeLuca, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of explained

Verb

Boutique brand Katikies has brought the success of its sister hotel in Oia, Santorini, to Mykonos, with a spacious, whitewashed sanctuary on the island’s southwest coast.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The one-bedroom space is minimal, deliberately quiet, and whitewashed.

— Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of whitewashed

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.

Browse Nearby Words

extenuate

extenuated

extenuates

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of extenuated

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes