excuse me
idiom
1
—used as a polite way of starting to say something
Excuse me, but do you mind if I shut the window?
2
—used as a polite way of starting to interrupt someone
Excuse me, but may I say something?
3
—used as a polite way of trying to get someone's attention
Excuse me, do you know where I can find Maple Street?
4
—used as a polite way of starting to say one disagrees with someone
Excuse me, but I don't think those figures are entirely accurate.
5
—used as a polite apology for a minor fault or offense, such as laughing, coughing, or burping
6
US
—used as a polite apology for getting in someone's way or bumping into someone
Oh, excuse me. I didn't notice you standing there.
7
chiefly US
—used as a polite way of asking someone to repeat something
Excuse me? I didn't hear the last part of what you were saying.
8
informal
—often used in an annoyed way when someone has suggested that a person has done something wrong and the person does not agree
"You were supposed to be home an hour ago." "Well, excuse me! I had to fix a flat tire."
Examples of excuse me in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carrie brings Seema over to look at the table, excuse me, the Table, that, yes, Aidan secretly bought for her and had delivered.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 June 2025
After 25 long, humbling and frustrating seasons, the New York Knicks — excuse me — your New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals after defeating the defending-champion Boston Celtics in six games.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Of the many who paid attention to Russell in life, only his friend and fellow conspiracy theorist (excuse me, no, that’s alternate thinker) soccer-mom Barb (Jenn Harris) pursues the truth with anything resembling the tenacity Russell exhibited.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Charlie Cox spontaneous Northern Irish accent, excuse me??
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
Maybe this was an egg-cracking — excuse me an Exegccute-cracking — moment?
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 6 Mar. 2025
All of them had to do with petty personal stuff, attacks on people that attacked him, from pardoning the 9/11 – excuse me – the January 6th people who viciously beat police officers, all the way to renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
—NBC News, 23 Feb. 2025
Wilson wore a red coat, bell-bottom jeans (of course) and a sizable brown cowboy hat for the big day while her boyfriend, excuse me, her fiancé, wore a work jacket and Timberland work boots.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 13 Feb. 2025
And in fact, Kristen, this is -- excuse me, Kristen, this is exactly what President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, Elon Musk, myself and many others who have worked with USAID are talking about.
—NBC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 June 2025
After 25 long, humbling and frustrating seasons, the New York Knicks — excuse me — your New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference finals after defeating the defending-champion Boston Celtics in six games.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Of the many who paid attention to Russell in life, only his friend and fellow conspiracy theorist (excuse me, no, that’s alternate thinker) soccer-mom Barb (Jenn Harris) pursues the truth with anything resembling the tenacity Russell exhibited.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Charlie Cox spontaneous Northern Irish accent, excuse me??
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2025
Maybe this was an egg-cracking — excuse me an Exegccute-cracking — moment?
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 6 Mar. 2025
All of them had to do with petty personal stuff, attacks on people that attacked him, from pardoning the 9/11 – excuse me – the January 6th people who viciously beat police officers, all the way to renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
—NBC News, 23 Feb. 2025
Wilson wore a red coat, bell-bottom jeans (of course) and a sizable brown cowboy hat for the big day while her boyfriend, excuse me, her fiancé, wore a work jacket and Timberland work boots.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 13 Feb. 2025
And in fact, Kristen, this is -- excuse me, Kristen, this is exactly what President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, Elon Musk, myself and many others who have worked with USAID are talking about.
—NBC News, 9 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excuse me.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excuse%20me. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share