frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

excursion n. 1 trip, tour, outing, airing, expedition, voyage, cruise,
journey, junket, jaunt; ramble, stroll, walk, hike, trek, drive,
ride, sail: We left the city and took an excursion into the
mountains. 2 detour, deviation, side-trip, diversion,
digression, excursus: Forgive the excursion, but I'll return to
the subject in a minute.
excuse v. 1 forgive, pardon, overlook, absolve, clear, exonerate,
acquit, exculpate, pass over, disregard, wink at, ignore, be
blind to, look the other way, pay no attention or heed (to),
find or prove innocent (of): Please excuse my tardiness. 2
release, let go or off, liberate, free, relieve, exempt,
absolve; dismiss, Colloq let off the hook: She was excused from
attending class today. You may be excused. 3 condone, allow,
permit, defend, apologize for, justify, warrant, explain,
vindicate, rationalize, mitigate, extenuate, palliate: Poverty
does not excuse your stealing.
--n. 4 apology, explanation, story, reason, justification,
defence, plea, vindication, condonation, rationalization,
extenuation, mitigation, palliation; basis, grounds, foundation,
cause: Can you think of any excuse for your behaviour? 5
forgiveness, remission, pardon, indulgence, reprieve, clearing,
exculpation, absolution, exoneration, acquittal, disregard,
heedlessness, vindication, clearance, acquittance: Ignorance of
the law is not an excuse. 6 evasion, subterfuge, pretence,
pretext, makeshift, escape, loophole, way out, Colloq alibi,
stall, Slang cop-out: He always uses his grandmother's illness
as an excuse for missing school.
execute v. 1 accomplish, do, carry out or off or through, perform,
discharge, dispatch or despatch, bring about or off, implement,
engineer, cause, Colloq pull off, put over, Slang US swing, cut,
hack (out): She executes her duties satisfactorily. 2
complete, finish, deliver; achieve, consummate, fulfil, effect,
effectuate; sign, seal, validate, countersign: He executed the
portrait in an hour. The contract was executed yesterday. 3 put
to death, kill, put to the sword, butcher; liquidate,
assassinate, murder, remove, slay, Slang bump off, rub or wipe
out, snuff (out), knock off, US waste, ice: Convicted murderers
are no longer executed in this country. The mob executed the
rival gangleaders.