to concoct an excuse
1
6.5
- phrasal verb
- /kənˈkɑkt ən ɪkˈskjus/
- She had to concoct an excuse to explain why she missed the important meeting.
Examples
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Whenever they're running late, they tend to concoct an excuse rather than tell the truth.
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He quickly concocted an excuse when asked why he hadn't finished his homework.
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Don't concoct an excuse for being late!
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She always concocts an excuse when she forgets something.
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She knew she needed to concoct an excuse for arriving late to the meeting.
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When questioned about the missing funds, he quickly concocted an excuse to avoid suspicion.
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To avoid punishment, the student had to concoct an excuse for not completing the assignment.
Synonyms
824
3.2
Invent a story or excuse that is not true
53
6.3
To invent a story, excuse or piece of evidence to deceive people
52
3.2
To make up a story or excuse that is not true
49
6.0
Make up a story or excuse to trick people
41
7.3
To make up false information to trick people
3
8.5
To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame
1
9.9
To invent a story or excuse that is not true
To avoid taking responsibility by lying or being vague
Antonyms
How Deceptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward verb + noun composition: 'concoct' (to invent) applied to 'excuse' (a justification) yields 'invent an excuse.' The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and follows a common compositional pattern that most learners will recognize, so it's transparent to a B1 learner who knows the component words.
Etymology
Concoct an excuse comes from the verb concoct, which originally meant to mix or cook things together, so imagine someone quickly mixing up a story like a recipe. That's why concoct an excuse means 'to invent a false reason' to 'avoid blame'.