Synonyms for extenuate

Most common

mitigate · mince · reduce · excuse

All synonyms

Verb

Antonyms

aggravate, exacerbate, worsen

All antonyms of extenuate →

Related words

Word family

extenuating extenuation

Forms

Past participle

extenuated
e.g. extenuated → mitigated, minced, reduced, excused…

Example sentences

• excuse Excuse me, but where is the men's shoe department?
• qualify Turkey did not qualify in this year's World Cup.
• mitigate There are measures you can take to mitigate clumping.
• mince Don't mince words. Tell me what you really think.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

5 letters

mince¹, allay², abate²

6 letters

reduce², excuse², weaken², lessen², soften²

7 letters

qualify³, varnish², assuage²

8 letters

mitigate³, diminish³, palliate

9 letters

alleviate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (allay² = 2 syllables).