ironclad alibi
2
5.8
- noun
- /ˈaɪərnˌklæd ˈælɪˌbaɪ/
:
coartada inquebrantable
- This is the one criminal act the both of us committed , but we were in a panic and needed to create an ironclad alibi.
Examples
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He and people like him had best be living like Caesar's wife and have witnesses and ironclad alibis at all times.
Blog text (29) -
But she and Michael Green had ironclad alibis.
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l gave myself an ironclad alibi.
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Batman has an ironclad alibi for the first murder.
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He's got an ironclad alibi.
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The detective was frustrated because the main suspect had an ironclad alibi for the time of the crime.
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In the courtroom, the lawyer presented an ironclad alibi that proved his client's innocence beyond doubt.
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After reviewing the evidence, the police confirmed that he had an ironclad alibi, making it impossible for him to be involved.
Synonyms
5
3.8
A strong proof that someone was somewhere else when a crime happened
1
4.4
Strong, clear proof that shows someone was not at a crime scene
How Convincing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an alibi that cannot be doubted' is directly and compositionally derived from 'ironclad' (metaphorically strengthened or unbreakable) modifying 'alibi' (evidence of absence). This adjective+noun pattern is a straightforward metaphorical extension found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase ironclad alibi comes from ironclad, a word for old ships covered in iron that were hard to break, and alibi, meaning an excuse. So an ironclad alibi is an excuse so strong it 'cannot be doubted'.