palliating

verb

present participle of palliate
1
as in excusing
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 alleviating
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for palliating
  1. excusing
  2. alleviating
  3. justifying
  4. relieving
  5. explaining
  6. mitigating
  7. extenuating
  8. helping
Verb
  • But the series’ choice to humanize the villain without excusing her actions was intentional, Thornton explains.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement Dialogue does not mean abandoning our values, excusing aggression, or accepting injustice.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • Today, chatbots can run the actuarial numbers, potentially alleviating some uncertainty concerns by, say, offering a close approximation for achieving life milestones.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • These turnovers also set up touchdowns, alleviating the pent-up stress of the first half.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of alleviating
Verb
  • The centerpiece of the policy originally was his use of a 1977 law to declare America's longstanding trade deficits a national emergency, justifying double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Advocacy groups are fighting to unseal the OLC’s memo justifying the deadly boat strikes in international waters.
    — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of justifying
Verb
  • This can involve releasing residual propellant, relieving pressure, and discharging or disconnecting batteries to reduce the risk of accidental explosions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • That incident displaced thousands until a crack formed in the overheating tank, relieving the pressure and ending the risk of explosion.
    — Lana Zak, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of relieving
Verb
  • The old boy was perfectly reasonable, explaining the difference between federal reimbursement and state reimbursement, and the speed that agencies move on the different levels.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As this is a Lynch film, explaining the rest of the plot would be a pointless exercise, but expect plentiful violence, stylish surrealism, and a road movie that’ll shock and delight in equal measure.
    — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Sanders-esque warnings about AI threatening humanity weren’t a focal point, suggesting the DSA camp that’s more focused on mitigating present harms is setting the terms of the conversation, at least in New York.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Some cities in the country are seeing increasingly high rates of cyclists being killed or injured as others are mitigating the risks by installing new bike paths and educating residents on bike safety.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of mitigating
Verb
  • Other extenuating circumstances beyond Goodman’s control also might be contributing to his reputation within the industry as a subpar defender.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • But, generally, only one property can be claimed, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
    — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Definition of extenuating
Verb
  • He is widely credited with liberalizing Israel’s economy and helping transform the country into a global high-tech hub.
    — Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Maria would spend years debating the ideas of early economics with Malthus, his friends, and eventually his successor, helping to influence their thinking and inform their research.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of helping
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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Cite this Entry

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

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