to excuse

Examples

• All

• But that doesn't excuse secrecy, deception and lies.

• My father always looked for ways to excuse my brother's behavior.

  Fiction book (2000)

• In this way, the fan could excuse the team's poor performance as beyond the control of the players.

  Academic text (2009)

• Too many seem to think that good intentions excuse away harmful outcomes.

  Stanford

• The parents heard her story with equanimity, and some of them began to excuse the girls' behavior.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Providing excuses that defer responsibility is a way to excuse failure rather than to address it.

  Academic text (1991)

• I've certainly heard you use that phrase to excuse every imprudent escapade you've embarked on.

  Fiction book (1991)

• She tried to excuse her late arrival by saying the traffic was terrible.

• He attempted to excuse his mistake by explaining that he was under a lot of stress.

Synonyms

E

to explain

vsto excuse

∞ 1.0

To show why something happened

focuses on defending or lessening blame rather than simply clarifying causes

J

to justify

vsto excuse

720 3.4

To give good reasons that something you did is right

seeks to make actions seem less serious rather than prove full rightness

A

to account for

vsto excuse

308 3.2

To explain why something happened

tries to reduce blame without necessarily deceiving about facts

C

to cover for

vsto excuse

• Informal

156 4.4

To do or say something to hide someone's bad action

is about defending one's actions rather than covering another person

R

to rationalize

vsto excuse

• US

64 6.4

Give untrue reasons to explain your actions

aims to lessen blame rather than present truly accurate reasons

G

to gloss

vsto excuse

23 8.0

To make something sound better to hide problems

aims to defend behavior and make faults seem less serious

R

to rationalize away

vsto excuse

• US

1 7.9

Try to explain strange events with normal reasons to dismiss other ideas

focuses on reducing blame for a fault rather than dismissing alternatives

Antonyms

C

to criticize

701 3.3

To say what is wrong with someone or something

C

to condemn

298 4.0

To strongly criticize someone or something publicly

Idioms

A

a thousand one excuse

• Informal

7.5

Many different reasons a person gives to avoid blame

E

excuse you

• Informal

8.8

A sharp way to tell someone you are annoyed by their rude action

Phrasal Verbs

C

to concoct an excuse

6.5

To make up a false reason to avoid blame

Compounds

G

goddamn excuse

• Offensive

1 9.9

A rude way to say someone's reason is weak and not acceptable

B

bullsheet excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A false or silly story people tell to avoid blame

A

abuse excuse

• NSFW

8.4

An attempt to explain bad behavior by saying you were hurt in the past

F

fuckwaffle excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A silly made-up reason someone gives to avoid blame

F

fucktillion excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A very large number of weak reasons someone gives to avoid doing something

G

go-to excuse

• Informal

4.7

A usual reason someone gives to avoid blame

H

half-baked excuse

• Informal

5.1

A weak reason someone gives to avoid blame

H

hogshit excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A false story someone gives to avoid blame

T

threadbare excuse

7.0

A weak reason used so often people no longer believe it

S

shoddy excuse

4.8

A weak, unconvincing reason someone gives for not doing something

W

weasellike excuse

• Informal

9.0

A dishonest reason someone gives to avoid blame

W

wimpy excuse

• Informal

7.1

A weak reason someone gives to avoid blame

How Justified

to justify

720 3.4

to excuse

178 2.5

to defend

691 2.8

to explain

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology