palliate

verb

ˈpa-lē-ˌāt How to pronounce palliate (audio)
Definition of palliatenext
1
as in to excuse
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses don't try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to alleviate
to make more bearable or less severe this medicine should palliate your cough at least a little

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of palliate Radiation can also be used to palliate painful bone metastases, as well as chemotherapy. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2024 Senior-home avatars who are designed to palliate dementia patients in their darkest days. — Longreads, 12 Apr. 2024 By the very nature of their profession, they are given entry into the universal kingdom of the sick, a place where all are united by a desire to palliate suffering. — Sushrut Jangi, Foreign Affairs, 7 Dec. 2014
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palliate
  1. excuse
  2. alleviate
  3. justify
  4. relieve
  5. explain
  6. help
  7. mitigate
  8. soothe
Verb
  • This year, 2025, has been positioned as the Great Reset — the first period without any asterisks to excuse the industry’s lack of recovery.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 31 Mar. 2025
  • None of which excuses a failure to search such sagas for good ideas that might be repurposed today.
    — Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of excuse
Verb
  • The team may want to alleviate some of his workload to help preserve his game.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The surfeit of interested workers has not alleviated the labor shortage.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of alleviate
Verb
  • Officials were pressed to justify the action on Sunday morning news shows, where again the confused messaging was apparent.
    — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
  • High-stakes use cases might justify a premium model, while simpler tasks could be served by more affordable options.
    — Roman Vorel, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of justify
Verb
  • Rather than rising up and killing its former masters, Murderbot just goes about performing its security work, relieving the boredom by watching a lot of entertainment media.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Trump rejected a 90-day pause in tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday, a bit of rumor that briefly relieved agitated financial markets before it was promptly dismissed by the White House as fiction.
    — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of relieve
Verb
  • To avoid these potentially destabilizing effects, military leaders will need to explain what the country stands to lose if the military devotes excess time, resources, and attention to domestic operations and fails to adhere carefully to the laws of war.
    — Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
  • If Bayern were not pursuing him, that would probably be harder to explain.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of explain
Verb
  • For example, whenever one of the kids had a spelling bee, everyone in the car would help recite the words.
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Federal programs enacted during the Biden Administration, like the Inflation Reduction Act, have helped boost the country’s advanced manufacturing footprint.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of help
Verb
  • Communities across the country have used program funds to help their cities and towns mitigate disasters, such as raising roads to keep them out of floodwaters or building underground storage units to prepare for droughts.
    — Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Protecting Pets From the Cold: When biting cold hits, a few simple precautions can help pet owners mitigate the risks to their animals.
    — The New York Times, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of mitigate
Verb
  • Made with silicone, this teether has a variety of textures that are meant to soothe a baby’s sore gums.
    — Laura Lu, Parents, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Crafting and DIYs have surged this year, thanks to a rise in adult hobbies as people look for soothing ways to fill their free time.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of soothe

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pallets
palliate
palliated
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“Palliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palliate. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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