excuse

(n) a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
- he kept finding excuses to stay
- every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job
- his transparent self-justification was unacceptable
exculpation, self-justification, alibi,
(n) a note explaining an absence
- he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him
(n) a poor example
- it was an apology for a meal
- a poor excuse for an automobile
apology,

(v) accept an excuse for
- Please excuse my dirty hands
pardon,
(v) grant exemption or release to
- Please excuse me from this class
let off, exempt, relieve,
(v) serve as a reason or cause or justification of
- Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work
- Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again
explain,
(v) defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
- rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior
- he rationalized his lack of success
apologise, rationalize, apologize, rationalise, justify,
(v) ask for permission to be released from an engagement beg off,
(v) excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
- excuse someone's behavior
- She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities
condone,

pardon exculpation self-justification alibi let off exempt relieve apology explain apologise rationalize apologize rationalise justify beg off condone

excused excuser