an excuse
That's just an excuse.
Al menos tú tienes una excusa.
At least you have an excuse.
Tom siempre tiene una excusa.
Tom always has an excuse.
Él inventó una excusa sobre su retraso.
He made up an excuse for being late.
Piensa rápido y dame una excusa creíble para el jefe.
Think fast and give me a believable excuse for the boss.
Usted busca una excusa para quedarse.
You're looking for an excuse to stay.
— Ирония судьбы, или С легким паром! (1976)
Should I make up an excuse?