as in justification
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
"a really important business call" is no excuse for not paying proper attention to one's driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance
more often than not, voters are willing to excuse a candidate's youthful indiscretion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to justify
to be an acceptable reason for
having a female passenger in labor will generally excuse a little disregard for the speed limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to explain
to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses
he's always excusing his chronic lying by claiming that everybody lies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excuse
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 May 2025
After Vladimir said nyet, Trump buckled and made excuses for the Russians.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
When Dismukes excuses himself to go to the bathroom, he’s thrown off by the sight of a Squatty Potty in the couple’s bathroom and spends the rest of the evening spiraling over the idea of his boss’s primal need to poop.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for excuse
Noun
Not a massive drop, but a good excuse to finally stop letting your kid use your phone to watch cartoons with sticky fingers.
TCL Tablet Deals
The TCL Tab 10s is for the chill tablet user.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 May 2025
After Vladimir said nyet, Trump buckled and made excuses for the Russians.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
Verb
According to California Courts, jurors are questioned and excused until 12 qualified individuals are selected who the judge and attorneys agree can fairly and thoughtfully decide the case.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
When Dismukes excuses himself to go to the bathroom, he’s thrown off by the sight of a Squatty Potty in the couple’s bathroom and spends the rest of the evening spiraling over the idea of his boss’s primal need to poop.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for excuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excuse
Noun
-
The rulings against the levies in two federal courts – the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. -- centered on Trump's unprecedented invocation of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act as a legal justification for tariffs.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
30 May 2025
-
End of story — there is no justification, nothing that makes this right.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
What can also be said with certainty, however, is that — even ignoring, for one moment, the events that brought him to Chelmsford crown court in Essex, east of London — this is a story of what might have been.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
The economics are simply too compelling for businesses to ignore: A single AI system can process the workload of dozens of employees at a fraction of the usual labor cost.—
Adam Bowen,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
But as cloud spend goes up, the need to justify cost efforts and demonstrate cost avoidance to execs will increase.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
His breezy accounts betray no anxiety to justify the expense of sending him around the world.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
The smaller budget is in part explained by the expiration of one-time spending that came as part of 2023’s more than $70 billion budget that raised spending by nearly 40%.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2025
-
And as one dad recently shared on Reddit, the days of explaining things with talk of storks or other mythical tales are likely over.—
Christian Dashiell,
Parents,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Or maybe, for a million reasons, your recent expectations of how family life should be are not aligned with reality.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2025
-
Martino abruptly resigned due to personal reasons and Miami hired Messi’s long-time friend and former Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano as head coach.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
After the season Manchester United has endured, the club’s fans could be forgiven for wanting the campaign to end.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
There are no limits to the number of donations per person, though fines will not be forgiven for library items that are lost or damaged.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2025
Verb
-
Overall, the move to focus on individual risks and benefits may overlook broader public health benefits.—
Libby Richards,
The Conversation,
29 May 2025
-
Tucked between Kamala and Patong beach, the journey to this hidden hillside bar includes a wooden path with photogenic stops, including a floating frame overlooking the Andaman Sea.—
Kaila Yu,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
-
Biden pardoned his brother, James Biden, and other relatives for unspecified crimes during his final days in office.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
-
Trump pardoned the insurrectionists early in his second term in January.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excuse. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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