Collocations for "excuse"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "excuse" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
excuse
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.n
- a [reasonable, valid, believable] excuse
- that is a lame excuse!
- is a poor excuse for a [pizza, boyfriend]
- a poor excuse for not [coming, playing, finishing]
- come up with a [better, plausible] excuse
- need a better excuse
- trying to think of an excuse
- don't make excuses!
- stop making excuses (for him)!
- I've heard that excuse [before, a hundred times]
- are (just) using it as an excuse to [leave, make, do]
- that's just an excuse!
- what's your excuse this time?
- there is no excuse for [your actions, what you said]
- there is really no excuse (for)
- you have no excuse for not [going, finishing]
- an excuse for why you [didn't finish, were late]
- came [up, out] with a feeble excuse (for)
- didn't [buy, believe, accept] the feeble excuse
- is always making up feeble excuses
- a feeble excuse for not [coming, doing, making, finishing]
- [children's, students', workers'] feeble excuses
- this is a feeble excuse of [a meal, an attempt]
- (please) excuse me
- excuse me, but
- excuse me?
- you'll have to excuse me
- excuse me for [being late, the intrusion, interrupting]
- (doesn't) excuse his [behavior, actions]
- his [behavior] can't be excused (by)
- excuse my [ignorance, curiosity] but
- excuse yourself from the [table, party, conversation]
- please may I be excused?
- excused (early) from [school, class, work]
- excused on [account, grounds] that
- excused from [speaking, voting, attending]
- excused to [leave, speak]
- his [absence, tardiness] was excused
- excused in [writing, advance, person]
'excuse' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Sir
- absolutely
- bullshit
- clumsy
- clutch
- convenient
- craft
- credit
- doubtful
- feeble
- feeble excuse
- flimsy
- indeed
- invent
- lame
- likely
- limp
- lousy
- madam
- manufacture
- miserable
- miss
- mistake
- often
- old
- procrastination
- pun
- regular
- reunion
- rubbish
- same
- shabby
- standard
- stock
- unbelievable
- understandable
- unlikely
- usual
- valid
- water