Meaning & use
there is no excuse
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Used to say that a particular action or situation cannot be justified or forgiven.
Grammar: Often followed by 'for' and a noun or -ing verb: There is no excuse for cheating.
Patterns
- there is no excuse for something
- there is no excuse for doing something
There is no excuse for treating people so rudely.
There is no excuse for missing the deadline without informing us.
He said there is no excuse for what he did.
Common combinations
- no excuse for
- There is no excuse for such careless mistakes.
- no excuse whatsoever
- There is no excuse whatsoever for that kind of behavior.
- offer an excuse
- She tried to offer an excuse, but there was none.
Synonyms and how they differ
- no justification
- More formal and often used in official statements; 'no excuse' is more common in everyday speech.
- unacceptable
- Describes the action itself rather than the lack of a reason; 'there is no excuse' focuses on the absence of a valid reason.
Opposites
Word family
- excuse noun
- A reason or explanation given to defend an action.
- excusable adjective
- Able to be forgiven or justified.
- inexcusable adjective
- Too bad to be forgiven or justified.
Commonly confused: there is no excuse or there is no need?
there is no excuse vs there is no need
This means something is not necessary, while 'there is no excuse' means something cannot be justified.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'There is no excuse ___ arriving late without calling.'
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'there is no excuse for' followed by a noun or -ing verb. The other prepositions do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “there is no excuse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.