extenuator

/ɪkˈstɛnjuˌeɪtər/
noun
  1. A person or thing that makes a fault or problem seem less serious.
    • The report served as an extenuator for the company's poor safety record.
    • No extenuator could make his rude behavior acceptable to the group.
    • The defense attorney acted as an extenuator, trying to soften the impact of the evidence.
Antonyms
What does "extenuator" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean