"he kept finding excuses to stay"
"every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"
"his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
"he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
"it was an apology for a meal"
"a poor excuse for an automobile"
"Please excuse my dirty hands"
"Please excuse me from this class"
"Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"
"Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again"
"rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"
"he rationalized his lack of success"
"excuse someone's behavior"
"She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"