as in justifications
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 ignores
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 justifies
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 explains
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of excuses
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
At Dos Pueblos High in Goleta, baseball coach George Hedricks needed no excuses to start freshman Mattias Di Maggio, considering last name of DiMaggio is one of the best baseball names in the history of the sport.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
According to Joubert, the excuses started piling up.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The same goes for Humbert Humbert from Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel Lolita, a pedophile with a silver tongue who conjures up excuses for his inexcusable actions.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Venus and Saturn make this full moon the right time to finally take a look at your figures without excuses.
—Glamour, 25 Apr. 2026
Yet both Piker and Tolentino move from discussing nonlethal crimes of nuisance and destruction to making excuses for murder.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Something is reaching a turning point… and this moon wants action, not excuses!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
But the Padres sale demonstrates that despite the excuses and gaslighting, the fastest way MLB owners could increase their franchise values is by spending money on players.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … MEDIA HALL PASS — Nashville public school excuses Muslim students for daily prayer time during Ramadan.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
And while absolutely none of that excuses my actions, that's what happened.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
None of that excuses the crimes.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Lost Lambs features an all-white cast in an anonymous American suburb, which excuses Cash from having to engage head-on with race.
—Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
In professional sports, excuses age quickly.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
The rep excuses herself; in the hallway, Stephen congratulates Lucy.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
So people tend to define antisemitism in a way that excuses their side, and that throws all of the blame on the other side.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
There are at least three good excuses to do just that.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
At Dos Pueblos High in Goleta, baseball coach George Hedricks needed no excuses to start freshman Mattias Di Maggio, considering last name of DiMaggio is one of the best baseball names in the history of the sport.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
According to Joubert, the excuses started piling up.
—Abby Dodge, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
The same goes for Humbert Humbert from Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel Lolita, a pedophile with a silver tongue who conjures up excuses for his inexcusable actions.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Venus and Saturn make this full moon the right time to finally take a look at your figures without excuses.
—Glamour, 25 Apr. 2026
Yet both Piker and Tolentino move from discussing nonlethal crimes of nuisance and destruction to making excuses for murder.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Something is reaching a turning point… and this moon wants action, not excuses!
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
But the Padres sale demonstrates that despite the excuses and gaslighting, the fastest way MLB owners could increase their franchise values is by spending money on players.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Justice Department says Bondi’s ouster excuses her from having to appear.
—NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
Continue reading … MEDIA HALL PASS — Nashville public school excuses Muslim students for daily prayer time during Ramadan.
—FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
And while absolutely none of that excuses my actions, that's what happened.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
None of that excuses the crimes.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Lost Lambs features an all-white cast in an anonymous American suburb, which excuses Cash from having to engage head-on with race.
—Malavika Kannan, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
In professional sports, excuses age quickly.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
The rep excuses herself; in the hallway, Stephen congratulates Lucy.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
So people tend to define antisemitism in a way that excuses their side, and that throws all of the blame on the other side.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excuses
Noun
-
Grove said the agency’s justifications for consolidating offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, don’t make sense.—
Karl Hille,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The numbers and justifications don’t add up.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The suggestion that a single day of civic action meaningfully undermines academic progress ignores the broader challenges students and educators face every day — challenges that often require advocacy to address.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The report ignores antisemitism, said longtime resident Alan Brownstein.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The pitch has always been that better performance justifies a higher price.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those willing to make the trip, the standard of care justifies every mile.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As if that wasn't enough, the hospital is also in lockdown due to an active shooter, as Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) explains in the heart-pounding promo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
Rhone explains why that changed.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Of course, artists make choices in biographical shows for a whole variety of reasons, whether in service of the storytelling, to appease those who would prefer to remain anonymous or even self-protection.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
One of the primary reasons that some car buyers avoid vehicles with electric powertrains is the lengthy duration of charging sessions.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While The Pitt forgives and empathizes with Robby’s flaws, Robby is not called on to extend that empathy to others.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
There is no blanket federal program that automatically forgives credit card debt simply because someone is a veteran.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
President Kennedy pardons his predecessor, Nixon, for his involvement in the Watergate scandal.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Being the president and all, Richard pardons himself and Jenny.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Villa Sarnia This historic art nouveau villa overlooks Lake Maggiore in the village of San Nazzaro.—
Lisa Kadane,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
-
In January of that year, Mexican biologists tracked a collared wolf that had passed by the city of Juárez on its way to Mount Cristo Rey, which straddles the border between New Mexico and Mexico and overlooks El Paso, Texas.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excuses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excuses. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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