The Clue
Story, sometimes (5 letter answer)
The Answer
ALIBI
Tags
Notes
The answer ALIBI is seen frequently, appearing about once every 90 puzzles.
Related Clues
Excuse
Out
Court excuse
Court story
Cover story
Cover story?
Criminal's concern
Defendant's defense
Defendant's out
Defense aid
Defense ploy
Epithet for Ike
Evidence for the defense
Excuse of a sort
Ike's specialty
Lardner's "___ Ike"
Legal defense
Legal plea
Out of sorts?
Out for a trial
Pretext, perhaps
Pretext, possibly
Suspect's defense
Suspect's need
Suspect's "out"
Suspect's story
Whodunit feature
"Her ___," Selleck film
Ironclad defense, usually
Mystery-story ingredient
Point in a defendant's favor
Well-known Ike
It might be airtight
What a murder suspect needs
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