make an exception

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

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

But when Koepka applied for reinstatement, the PGA Tour’s new leadership didn’t just make an exception and welcome him back with open arms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

The owner typically doesn’t take bookings so far out but was willing to make an exception — as long as the guest was willing to pay more.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

“We don’t normally do this, but I talked to Patterson, and we just have to make an exception this year.”

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely