Verb

To clear of or to free from guilt; exonerate.

* {{quote-book, year=1907, author=

, title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=4 citation , passage=The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected. Northrop knew all about Tony's flirtation with Lucy Davidson, but it also knew a good deal more about that lady than Tony did, and exculpated him.}}

Verb

(en-verb)

To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.

* Grew

His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail.

* Charlotte Brontë, Shirley

To this extenuated spectre, perhaps, a crumb is not thrown once a year, but when ahungered and athirst to famine—when all humanity has forgotten the dying tenant of a decaying house—Divine Mercy remembers the mourner

To become thinner.

To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; opposed to aggravate.

* 1599 ,

CLAUDIO. I know what you would say: if I have known her,

You'll say she did embrace me as a husband,

And so extenuate the 'forehand sin: No, Leonato,

I never tempted her with word too large;

But, as a brother to his sister, show'd

Bashful sincerity and comely love.

* I. Taylor

Let us extenuate , conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality.

(obsolete) To lower or degrade; to detract from.

* Milton

Who can extenuate thee?