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make excuses

[meɪk ɪkˈskjuːzɪz]
verb phrase
dar desculpas; justificar-se
1. to offer reasons or explanations to avoid blame or responsibility
He always makes excuses when he's late to work.
Ele sempre dá desculpas quando chega atrasado ao trabalho.
2. to provide pretexts or false reasons to evade accountability
Stop making excuses and just admit you made a mistake.
Pare de inventar desculpas e apenas admita que cometeu um erro.
NYC Slang
cappin'; making it up
Synonyms
offer excusesjustify oneselffind faultblame otherscome up with reasons
Antonyms
take responsibilityown upadmit faultaccept blame

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
dar desculpas; colocar desculpas
Most common usage in Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
inventar desculpas
Often used colloquially with connotation of fabricating reasons
Portugal
arranjar desculpas; apresentar desculpas
European Portuguese preference, more formal tone

Related Idioms & Phrases

have an excuse ready
cry over spilled milk
pass the buck
beat around the bush
make a dog's dinner of it
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