1
as in ignoring
to dismiss as of little importance
more often than not, voters are willing to excuse a candidate's youthful indiscretion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in justifying
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 explaining
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 excusing
But there’s no excusing Josh Allen’s four turnovers.
—
Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
This isn’t about excusing others for poor behavior.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Bryan can be terse in his scant interviews and is no stranger to temporarily excusing himself from social media for a too-declarative statement.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
There is no excusing his remarks about Childress, whose everyman, never-back-down persona is something with which many fans identify.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
There was also the spat with coach Steve Kerr that resulted in Green excusing himself to the locker room and never returning.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
Any politician who thinks this is true is probably more interested in excusing themselves from the consequences of the loss.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
However, the appeals court emphasized that its decision should not be read as excusing defiance of court orders.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 12 Dec. 2025
Some Republicans and Democrats criticized Vance’s response for excusing or downplaying the nature of the chat messages.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
This isn’t about excusing others for poor behavior.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Bryan can be terse in his scant interviews and is no stranger to temporarily excusing himself from social media for a too-declarative statement.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
There is no excusing his remarks about Childress, whose everyman, never-back-down persona is something with which many fans identify.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
There was also the spat with coach Steve Kerr that resulted in Green excusing himself to the locker room and never returning.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
Any politician who thinks this is true is probably more interested in excusing themselves from the consequences of the loss.
—Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
However, the appeals court emphasized that its decision should not be read as excusing defiance of court orders.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 12 Dec. 2025
Some Republicans and Democrats criticized Vance’s response for excusing or downplaying the nature of the chat messages.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excusing
Verb
-
This framing effectively provides a rationale for ignoring officers’ commands during field encounters.—
Christina Buttons,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In November, my doctor gently reprimanded me for ignoring my 2024 colonoscopy date.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And that could be the difference between justifying a refinance application in today's economic climate or having to wait for the Fed to take action again later this year.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Who gets so far at work without thinking through — and long since justifying — the consequences?—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Therefore, telling the story in graphic form on behalf of Ukrainians themselves, explaining the preconditions for Russia’s attempts to erase Ukraine as a sovereign country and Ukrainians as an ethnic group, became extremely relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Nicotine use had the strongest impact on heart health, explaining 34% of the link between late bedtime and heart disease.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The standings aren’t forgiving.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Point is, this recipe is forgiving.—
Leah Donnella,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Such stretches have previously been eliminated by the NBA, with the exception of extenuating circumstances.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Executive producer and star of the film, Danielle Brooks, stuns with her performance as a mother trying to juggle it all and offers an honest portrayal of what happens when extenuating circumstances prevent closeness and warmth within a household.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The result can be overlooking income that must be reported – like a part-time job or side gig, interest from a bank account or sales of stock.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Tesoro beat Dana Hills by 29 points in its first matchup against the Dolphins, but the Titans aren’t overlooking Dana Hills in anticipation for its big game against San Clemente.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excusing. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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