excuse

sense 1: accept an excuse for; "Please excuse my dirty hands"
excuse pardon

sense 2: grant exemption or release to; "Please excuse me from this class"
excuse relieve let_off exempt

sense 3: serve as a reason or cause or justification of; "Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work"; "Her recent divorce amy explain her reluctance to date again"
excuse explain

sense 4: defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
apologize apologise excuse justify rationalize rationalise

sense 5: ask for permission to be released from an engagement
excuse beg_off

sense 6: excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with; "excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"
excuse condone