reason β a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc.: the reason for declaring war.
justification β a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends: His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.
pretext β something that is put forward to conceal a true purpose or object; an ostensible reason; excuse: The leaders used the insults as a pretext to declare war.
defense β the act or power of defending, or guarding against attack, harm, or danger
defence β Defence is action that is taken to protect someone or something against attack.
apology β An apology is something that you say or write in order to tell someone that you are sorry that you have hurt them or caused trouble for them.
alibi β If you have an alibi, you can prove that you were somewhere else when a crime was committed.
rationalization β to ascribe (one's acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes.
substitute β a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.
trick β a crafty or underhanded device, maneuver, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse; wile.
cleanup β A cleanup is the removing of dirt, pollution, crime, or corruption from somewhere.
cover β If you cover something, you place something else over it in order to protect it, hide it, or close it.
disguise β to change the appearance or guise of so as to conceal identity or mislead, as by means of deceptive garb: The king was disguised as a peasant.
makeshift β a temporary expedient or substitute: We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.
mitigation β the act of mitigating, or lessening the force or intensity of something unpleasant, as wrath, pain, grief, or extreme circumstances: Social support is the most important factor in the mitigation of stress among adolescents.
shift β to put (something) aside and replace it by another or others; change or exchange: to shift friends; to shift ideas.
song β Ailing [ahy-ling] /ΛaΙͺΛlΙͺΕ/ (Show IPA), Soong, Ai-ling.
stall β a pretext, as a ruse, trick, or the like, used to delay or deceive.
stopgap β something that fills the place of something else that is lacking; temporary substitute; makeshift: Candles are a stopgap when the electricity fails.
story β a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
subterfuge β an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.
whitewash β a composition, as of lime and water or of whiting, size, and water, used for whitening walls, woodwork, etc.
cop-out β an act or instance of copping out; reneging; evasion: The governor's platform was a cop-out.
cover story β a story that is alluded to or illustrated on the cover of a magazine
coverup β an attempt to keep blunders, crimes, etc. from being disclosed
fish story β an exaggerated or incredible story: It was just another one of his fish stories.
song and dance β a story or statement, especially an untrue or misleading one designed to evade the matter at hand: Every time he's late, he gives me a song and dance about oversleeping.
verb excuse
forgive β to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
pardon β kind indulgence, as in forgiveness of an offense or discourtesy or in tolerance of a distraction or inconvenience: I beg your pardon, but which way is Spruce Street?
acquit β If someone is acquitted of a crime in a court of law, they are formally declared not to have committed the crime.
absolve β If a report or investigation absolves someone from blame or responsibility, it formally states that he or she is not guilty or is not to blame.
exculpate β Show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.
let off β to allow or permit: to let him escape.
condone β If someone condones behaviour that is morally wrong, they accept it and allow it to happen.
defend β If you defend someone or something, you take action in order to protect them.
indulge β to yield to an inclination or desire; allow oneself to follow one's will (often followed by in): Dessert came, but I didn't indulge. They indulged in unbelievable shopping sprees.
let go β to move or proceed, especially to or from something: They're going by bus.
relieve β to ease or alleviate (pain, distress, anxiety, need, etc.).
spare β to refrain from harming or destroying; leave uninjured; forbear to punish, hurt, or destroy: to spare one's enemy.
tolerate β to allow the existence, presence, practice, or act of without prohibition or hindrance; permit.
appease β If you try to appease someone, you try to stop them from being angry by giving them what they want.
clear β Something that is clear is easy to understand, see, or hear.
