extenuate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

It will be seen that I abstain from harsh language, and rather extenuate than otherwise the unworthiness of my adversary.

From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis