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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excusing
Verb
-
Some readers refuse to join one, stubbornly persisting in flipping to one section and ignoring the rest.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hustle culture praised women for ignoring their instincts in the name of productivity.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Justice Department has not yet released a formal explanation justifying its redaction decisions.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And yet, major Jewish legacy organizations continue to insist that support for Israel requires denying the realities of occupation, justifying violence against Palestinians and rejecting Palestinian self-determination even while affirming the same for Jews.—
Rabbi Jill Jacobs,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Perardi emailed a photo explaining that it had been given to him as collateral.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Several board members cited the legal outcome in explaining their votes against Ben Gamla.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Batwing sleeves and a loose, forgiving shape leave plenty of extra fabric to cozy into, but ribbing around the entrance of the sleeves creates a snug fit to prevent cold air from touching your skin.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Venus in Pisces is all that and more — encouraging people to be forgiving and sacrificing for others.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 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 Japan romantics may be overlooking some clear drawbacks, however, including the 30 years of economic struggles that followed the bursting of a truly epic bubble in the 1990s.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The centerpiece of the 13-acre-plus parkland is a curved bridge overlooking a savanna, allowing elephants to walk under guests.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excusing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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