EXCUSING Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

excusing

verb

present participle of excuse

as in ignoring

to dismiss as of little importance more often than not, voters are willing to excuse a candidate's youthful indiscretion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in explaining

to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses he's always excusing his chronic lying by claiming that everybody lies

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of excusing Advertisement Dialogue does not mean abandoning our values, excusing aggression, or accepting injustice. — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 This story does not suggest that reconciliation requires forgetting the past or excusing harmful choices. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 Unable to picture evil as anything other than devilish, critics accused Arendt of excusing the perpetrators and blaming the victims. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 The royal mom also asked to see a poem that Ejran wrote, before excusing herself to continue her tour. — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 The center also alleges that the APA has put up roadblocks to allowing an official Jewish affinity group to form, while excusing inflammatory language about Zionism from an Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and North African affinity group. — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026 Mixing those up can lead to either punishing good judgment or excusing bad results. — Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 While not excusing his crime, Rogers contends Spencer has changed while on Death Row. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excusing

Verb

Isaac Gonzalez, a traffic safety advocate and founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said roads like Valley Hi Drive were built wide and open, which can lead to drivers ignoring speed limits.

— Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Republicans stripped away key delaying tactics in recent years by ending the filibuster in 2017 and ignoring the Judiciary Committee’s quorum rules in 2020.

— The Conversation, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

But Lewis said justifying camera movements through human mannerisms and tics also made the drone the episode’s poignant exhale.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
The frontier lab’s figures are seen as key to understanding underlying demand for cutting-edge AI models, as well as justifying the huge global spending on tech infrastructure.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of justifying

Verb

The decision was posted on the White House website late in the evening, and the notification noted that the report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress.

— Will Weissert, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Kate is once again explaining to Hal something very obvious about his own psyche and routine behavior.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of explaining

Verb

Other extenuating circumstances beyond Goodman’s control also might be contributing to his reputation within the industry as a subpar defender.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 27 July 2026
But, generally, only one property can be claimed, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

— Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Definition of extenuating

Verb

Around 40% of the building will be accessible without a ticket, with an amphitheater-like atrium designed for talks and performances, a bookshop, a children's art space, and Extra Large, a café with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Seine.

— Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Locals on social media and at the press conference also criticized the governor for overlooking the damage in Milton, which has a population of fewer than 12,000 people.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of overlooking

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excuses

excusing

exec

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Style

“Excusing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excusing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of excusing

verb

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