Five minutes late and the agenda has moved on. Ten ways to slide in without dragging the call backwards.
10 hand-picked excuses
01
Apologies, previous meeting ran long; please carry on, I'll catch up.
02
VPN was renegotiating; I'm in.
03
Wrong calendar link; on the right one now.
04
Sorry, took a customer call that wouldn't end on time.
05
Childcare drop-off ran late; here now, will read the chat.
06
Calendar swapped time zones on me; here.
07
Doctor's call ran over by ten; in now.
08
Battery died mid-walk; back on power.
09
Joined the wrong meeting first; switching tabs.
10
Will keep my camera off for a minute while I catch up on the agenda.
Or generate one
Click below for a fresh excuse.
FAQ
What's the most credible excuse for a meeting you are joining late?
Apologies, previous meeting ran long; please carry on, I'll catch up. It works because it's specific, honest about the trade-off, and short enough that nobody has follow-up questions.
Can I use the same excuse twice?
Sparingly. Pattern-match is the enemy of plausibility. Rotate from the list of 30 on this page.
Should I post a written update instead?
Almost always yes. A two-sentence async update earns more trust than showing up silent on camera.