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
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.
—
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 19 Apr. 2026
And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Americans must hold the president to a higher standard and stop excusing him like a misbehaving child from a broken home.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
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
Lauren Peller, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
But Australians should maintain confidence in due process, and refrain from jumping to conclusions by either damning Roberts-Smith or excusing him.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 19 Apr. 2026
And historians can talk about the Versailles treaty causing resentment in Germany, which led to the rise of Nazism in World War II, and that’s fine; that’s not excusing.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Americans must hold the president to a higher standard and stop excusing him like a misbehaving child from a broken home.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excusing
Verb
-
Prosecutors accused the trust, which convinced a federal district judge to order a temporary pause in construction, of ignoring claims that the project is needed to bolster national security.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But three days after withdrawing the lawsuit, Florida sued CMS for a third time, accusing the federal agency of ignoring the state’s public records request related to CMS’ approval of the KidCare expansion.—
Daniel Chang,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Military technology has become more sophisticated, but the minds justifying its use are stuck in the past.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The species evolved to adapt, with some growing larger and others smaller than their mainland counterparts, explaining the larger size of the island scrub-jay and the small size of the island fox.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In 2012, Classic Media was bought by DreamWorks Animation, which in turn was acquired by Universal Pictures parent NBCUniversal in 2016, explaining why the potential Disney+ series is a co-production between DreamWorks Animation TV and UCP.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first step toward forgiving people who have hurt us is wanting to.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The projects are forgiving, the mess is encouraged and the payoff is something the whole family can admire in the yard for months to come.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Citing these extenuating circumstances, Ford approached the administration late last year to request temporary tariff relief.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Typically only available under extenuating circumstances, the IRS determines your eligibility for OIC based on your assets, expenses, and income.—
Kat Tretina,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What to read next The Japanese eatery, Yutori, is an open-air circular restaurant overlooking the sea.—
Ann Lee,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
All Angelenos saw were enormous letters appearing on a ridge overlooking the freeway, and the city lost its mind.—
Matti Yahav,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excusing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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