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?

Verb

To clear from an accusation, suspicion or criticism.

to vindicate someone's honor

To justify by providing evidence.

to vindicate a right, claim or title

* {{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=June 19 , author=Phil McNulty , title=England 1-0 Ukraine , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The Ukrainians immediately demanded a goal and their claims were vindicated as replays showed the ball crossed the line before Terry's intervention.}}

To maintain or defend a cause against opposition.

to vindicate the rights of labor movement in developing countries

To provide justification for.

The violent history of the suspect vindicated the use of force by the police.

To lay claim to; to assert a right to; to claim.

(obsolete) To liberate; to set free; to deliver.

(obsolete) To avenge; to punish

A war to vindicate infidelity.