| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | gloss over; cover up |
| Synonyms: | abate, allay, alleviate, apologize for, assuage, camouflage, cloak, conceal, condone, cover, diminish, disguise, dissemble, ease, exculpate, excuse, extenuate, gloze, hide, hush up, justify, lessen, lighten, make light of, mask, minimize, mitigate, moderate, mollify, prettify, put on a Band-Aid, qualify, quick fix, relieve, screen, soften, soothe, sugarcoat, temper, varnish, veil, veneer, vindicate, white, whiten, whitewash |
| Antonyms: | accuse, blame, condemn |
| Main Entry: | cure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | heal, ease bad situation |
| Synonyms: | alleviate, ameliorate, attend, better, cold turkey, correct, doctor, dose, dress, dry out, help, improve, kick, kick the habit, make better, make healthy, make whole, medicate, mend, minister to, nurse, palliate, quit cold, rectify, redress, rehabilitate, relieve, remedy, repair, restore, restore to health, right, shake, sweat it out, treat |
| Antonyms: | depress, hurt, injure |
| Main Entry: | ease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alleviate, help |
| Synonyms: | abate, aid, allay, ameliorate, anesthetize, appease, assist, assuage, attend to, calm, cheer, clear the way, comfort, cure, disburden, disengage, doctor, expedite, facilitate, forward, free, further, improve, lessen, let up on, lift, lighten, make easier, meliorate, mitigate, moderate, mollify, nurse, open the door, pacify, palliate, promote, quiet, relax, release, relent, relieve, run interference for, simplify, slacken, smooth, soften, soothe, speed, speed up, still, tranquilize, untighten |
| Antonyms: | annoy, increase, irritate, perplex, vex, worsen |
| Main Entry: | extenuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lessen, mitigate |
| Synonyms: | decrease, diminish, downplay, excuse, justify, make allowances, minimize, moderate, palliate, qualify, reduce, soften |
| Main Entry: | forgive |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop blame and grant pardon |
| Synonyms: | absolve, accept apology, acquit, allow for, amnesty, bear no malice, bear with, bury the hatchet, clear, commute, condone, dismiss from mind, efface, exculpate, excuse, exempt, exonerate, extenuate, forget, kiss and make up, laugh off, let bygones be bygones, let it go, let off easy, let off, let pass, let up on, make allowance, overlook, palliate, pocket, purge, release, relent, remit, reprieve, respite, spring, think no more of, turn other cheek, wink at, wipe slate clean |
| Antonyms: | accuse, blame, censure, charge, punish |
| Main Entry: | gloss |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | conceal truth |
| Synonyms: | belie, camouflage, cover up, deacon, disguise, doctor, explain, extenuate, falsify, hide, justify, mask, misrepresent, palliate, rationalize, smooth over, soft-pedal, sugarcoat, varnish, veil, veneer, white, whiten, whitewash |
| Antonyms: | clear up, explain, reveal |
| Main Entry: | help |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | improve |
| Synonyms: | alleviate, ameliorate, amend, attend, better, cure, doctor, ease, facilitate, heal, meliorate, mitigate, nourish, palliate, relieve, remedy, restore, revive, treat |
| Antonyms: | decrease, harm, hinder, hurt, injure, worsen |
| Main Entry: | justify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | legitimize, substantiate |
| Synonyms: | absolve, acquit, advocate, alibi, answer for, apologize for, approve, argue for, assert, be answerable for, bear out, brief, claim, clear, condone, confirm, contend, cop a plea, countenance, crawl, defend, do justice to, establish, exculpate, excuse, exonerate, explain, favor, legalize, maintain, make allowances, make good, palliate, pardon, plead, rationalize, rebut, show cause, speak in favor, square, stand up for, support, sustain, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant |
| Main Entry: | mince |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | euphemize, hold back in communication |
| Synonyms: | alleviate, decrease, diminish, extenuate, lessen, minimize, moderate, palliate, soften, spare, tone down, weaken |
| Antonyms: | reveal, tell all |