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make an exception

Idioms

Exempt someone or something from a general rule or practice, as in Because it's your birthday, I'll make an exception and let you stay up as late as you want. This expression was first recorded about 1391.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“And if they make an exception without a rationale, that’s not flexibility. That’s a lack of structure or a growth strategy.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

But the rules make an exception for investors holding stakes in private-asset funds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

But we’ll make an exception for the shoe story, a genuine delight in an otherwise gloomy news world.

From Slate • Mar. 14, 2026

Retiree Werner Strub agreed that "the conditions are so unusual that you can make an exception, because hospitals are full of people with fractures."

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

“It’s a little early for me, but I can always make an exception for a friend.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023