excuses
Reasons for failure
Excuses are explanations offered to justify or deflect blame for a failure or wrongdoing: He always has excuses for being late.
The word often implies the explanation is weak or insincere—a real reason needs no excuse.
To excuse someone is to forgive or release them from obligation: Please excuse me.
Excuse me serves as an apology for minor intrusions or a polite way to get attention.
Avoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- shirkingAvoiding obligatory tasks
- deflectingTurning from original path
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
hedging · equivocation · procrastination · circumvention · buck-passing · blame-shifting · weaseling · stonewalling
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- defenseProtection against harm
- alibiDefense of location
- vindicationClearance of blame
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
grounds · warrant · mitigation · self-justification · validation · exoneration · plea · legitimization
Deliberately untrue statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- lieDeliberate falsehood
- untruthA false statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
cover story · invention · whopper · tall tale · story · pretense · bluff · cover-up
Sorrow over past actions
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
- remorseGuilt for wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
- forgivenessReleasing resentment toward offenders
mea culpa · acknowledgment · pardon · making amends · begging off · bowing out
Deliberate act of deception
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
- shamFraudulent imitation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- smokescreenConcealment through misdirection
charade · front · guise · disguise · facade · cover · false pretense · feigned
State of being answerable
- consequencesResults of actions taken
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- faultImperfection or blame
- culpabilityDeserving blame for wrongdoing
obligation · ownership · admitting · owning up · taking responsibility · accountable · answerable · facing up
dodging
Avoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- shirkingAvoiding obligatory tasks
- deflectingTurning from original path
avoidance · hedging · equivocation · procrastination · circumvention · buck-passing · blame-shifting · weaseling · stonewalling · runaround
rationalization
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- defenseProtection against harm
- alibiDefense of location
- vindicationClearance of blame
reasoning · grounds · warrant · mitigation · self-justification · validation · exoneration · plea · legitimization · palliation
fabrication
Deliberately untrue statement
falsehood · cover story · invention · whopper · tall tale · story · pretense · bluff · cover-up · white lie
regret
Sorrow over past actions
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
- remorseGuilt for wrongdoing
- contritionRemorseful state over misdeeds
forgiveness · mea culpa · acknowledgment · pardon · making amends · begging off · bowing out
ruse
Deliberate act of deception
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
- shamFraudulent imitation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
smokescreen · charade · front · guise · disguise · facade · cover · false pretense · feigned · manufactured
responsibility
State of being answerable
- consequencesResults of actions taken
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- faultImperfection or blame
culpability · obligation · ownership · admitting · owning up · taking responsibility · accountable · answerable · facing up
- excusesnot my fault, overslept, alibi, denial, traffic
- ineffective responsesdeflection, denial, avoidance, stonewalling, dismissal
- addiction signscravings, dependence, withdrawal, compulsion, relapse
- self-deceptiondenial, delusion, wishful thinking, rationalization, willful blindness
- runaroundsstalling, avoidance, deflection, misdirection, brush-offs
- pet peevesannoyance, loud chewing, irritation, loud talking, frustration
excusesadmissions
Acts of letting in
accountability · confessions · acknowledgments · taking responsibility · mea culpa
excusespunishes
Inflicts consequences for wrongdoing
condemns · disciplines · reprimands · penalizes · castigates
excusescandor
Unguarded truthfulness
transparency · truthfulness · forthrightness · unvarnished truth · full disclosure
- excuse meApology for minor intrusion
- make excusesGive self-serving explanations
- making excusesOffering justifications for shortcomings
- no excusesRefusing to justify failure
- excuse myself
- excuse youPolite rebuke for rudeness
excuse, excused, excusable, inexcusable, excusing, excuser, excusers, inexcusably, excusably