Collocation
make an excuse
to invent or give a reason (often not true) to avoid doing something or to explain a mistake
Definition
'make an excuse' is a common English collocation. to invent or give a reason (often not true) to avoid doing something or to explain a mistake
make + an excuse
“Stop trying to make an excuse and just tell the truth.”
Examples
- He made an excuse about traffic, but we knew he overslept.
- She always makes an excuse when it is her turn to wash the dishes.
- I had to make an excuse to leave the party early because I felt sick.
Show more examples
- Do not make an excuse for missing the deadline; propose a fix instead.
- If you make an excuse every time, people will stop trusting you.
- He made an excuse to avoid answering the question directly.
- Rather than make an excuse, she admitted she forgot the appointment.
- You can make an excuse once, but repeating the same story will raise suspicion.
More verb + determiner + nouns
- make a decision to choose what to do after thinking about different options
- make a mistake to do something wrong or incorrectly
- join a meeting to enter and take part in a scheduled meeting, especially an online one
- make a mess to create a dirty, untidy, or disorganized situation; to spill, scatter, or cause disorder
- buy a ticket to pay for and obtain a ticket that allows you to enter or travel