The Clue
Court defense (5 letter answer)
The Answer
ALIBI
Tags
Notes
The answer ALIBI is seen frequently, appearing about once every 90 puzzles.
Related Clues
Excuse
Out
Accused's need
Certain testimony
Corroborator, maybe
Cover story
Cover story?
Criminal's concern
Defendant's defense
Defendant's mainstay
A defense at court
Defense ploy
Epithet for Ike
Evidence for the defense
Excuse of a sort
"___ Ike": Lardner
Ike's specialty
Lardner's "___ Ike"
Lardner's ___ Ike
Lawyer's concern
Legal defense
Make excuses
Mason's concern
Saving yarn?
Slip cover?
Suspect's defense
Suspect's need
Suspect's story
Whodunit feature
Cover, so to speak
"Her ___," Selleck film
___ Ike (buck-passer)
Point in a defendant's favor
Point in a suspect's favor
Seemingly good excuse
This is sometimes ironclad
Well-known Ike
"I ran out of gas," e.g.
"I was at my girlfriend's," e.g.
It's best when it's airtight
Definition
ALIBI as a noun:
1. (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
2. (excuse, alibi, exculpation, self-justification) = a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.; "he kept finding excuses to stay"; "every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job"; "his transparent self-justification was unacceptable"
ALIBI as a verb:
1. exonerate by means of an alibi