You don't need an excuse to live like a normal human being.

He needed an excuse to have some time to himself.

I think she's got something and wants to share it with us, but she needs an excuse.

He needed an excuse to get her to the train station.

But why had she needed an excuse to come here at all?

She'd just needed an excuse to escape for a while.

Since when did he need an excuse to see her?

Normally, of course, he wouldn't even need an excuse to go to the security office.

"When a woman needs an excuse to shop, she must have something on her mind."

She needed an excuse not only to be away from her office but also out of town.