poor/sad/sorry excuse for
idiom
: a poor example of
He's a sad excuse for a father.
This is a poor excuse for a term paper.
That pile of junk is a sorry excuse for a car!
Examples of poor/sad/sorry excuse for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Therein lies cantaloupe’s big problem: The chasm between sweet, succulent melon and a sad, sorry excuse for the fruit is wide, with the potential for disappointment lurking in each produce aisle.
—
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Translation error is a poor excuse for a player who's not new to the league.
—Ali Rampling, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Anthony Gigantiello Go with her Brooklyn: Donald Trump is a poor excuse for a human being.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 31 July 2024
Stuck at your desk, working from home, eating a sad excuse for a midday meal?
—Joan Niesen, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
Now our once-proud, now poor excuse for a union has chosen to divide us.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 May 2024
Joe Biden, John Fetterman and their loved one's should not waste a moment on Carlson's passive-aggressive, bullying nonsense, a poor excuse for a human being, with no excuse for being so.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2023
But in my opinion, the difficulty of these challenges would be a very poor excuse for not facing up to them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2017
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The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Translation error is a poor excuse for a player who's not new to the league.
—Ali Rampling, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Anthony Gigantiello Go with her Brooklyn: Donald Trump is a poor excuse for a human being.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 31 July 2024
Stuck at your desk, working from home, eating a sad excuse for a midday meal?
—Joan Niesen, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
Now our once-proud, now poor excuse for a union has chosen to divide us.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 May 2024
Joe Biden, John Fetterman and their loved one's should not waste a moment on Carlson's passive-aggressive, bullying nonsense, a poor excuse for a human being, with no excuse for being so.
—Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2023
But in my opinion, the difficulty of these challenges would be a very poor excuse for not facing up to them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Poor/sad/sorry excuse for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor%2Fsad%2Fsorry%20excuse%20for. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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