extenuate

Nothing can extenuate the horror of acts he spent his adult life trying to avoid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2022

In my initial salvo, I pointed out that Yglesias had minimized the harm of copyright infringement with a rationale that could extenuate theft of any kind.

From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2012

Exceptionalism can be a dangerous faith because of how much it can extenuate and excuse.

From Time ● Feb. 4, 2010

No such circumstance could be brought forward to extenuate the revolting offense perpetrated two days later by the Hearst Evening Journal.

From Time Magazine Archive

I will do my best, at least, and 'naught extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.'

From The American Gentleman's Guide to Politeness and Fashion or, Familiar Letters to his Nephews by Lunettes, Henry

“Prince is painfully removed from the youth culture in which he’s participating, which only extenuates the project’s problems,” it stated.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 18, 2015

But the pathetic anxiety of the face from which all memories of "Charley's Aunt" have utterly vanished is too much for his fortitude; and, at the risk of more semi-fibs, he extenuates the sentence.

From Somehow Good by De Morgan, William Frend

A. Because it increases choler, which dries and extenuates the body.

From The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy by Aristotle

Thus to persist In doing wrong extenuates not wrong, But makes it much more heavy.

From Troilus and Cressida by Shakespeare, William

He then discusses the bearing of ignorance and error, vincible and invincible, and specially the case wherein an erroneous conscience extenuates.

From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander

Hooker’s problems have been particularly extenuated and traumatic, especially for a vaulter who had the skill and composure to set an Olympic record of 19-6½ at the 2008 Beijing Games.

From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2012

But vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated.

From Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II Luther on Sin and the Flood by Lenker, John Nicholas

I have extenuated nothing, nor set down aught in malice.

From Two Years in Oregon by Nash, Wallis

A black Pomeranian, extenuated by the heat and the fatigues of digestion, slept before the blaze.

From Mortal Coils by Huxley, Aldous

It may be in part extenuated by the consideration that in these Psalms it is the community that speaks, and that the enemy of the good cause deserves less forbearance than the private adversary.

From History of Religion A Sketch of Primitive Religious Beliefs and Practices, and of the Origin and Character of the Great Systems by Menzies, Allan

The animal welfare charity said the numbers and living conditions of the dogs, discovered at an undisclosed location in the UK, "had rapidly grown out of control amid extenuating family circumstances".

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

Medicare doesn’t cover you for emergency hospital care overseas, except in certain extenuating circumstances where a foreign hospital may be closer than a U.S. one.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026

Kasten said the Dodgers and other teams try to accommodate fans with extenuating circumstances.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2024

“The one thing I can tell you is that everyone that’s ever worked for me has always gotten paid. Obviously, the circumstances here are a little extenuating, but yes, everybody will be paid eventually.”

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2024

He wanted to plead his friend’s case, explain the extenuating circumstances.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover