Claiming his phone died was just a subterfuge to avoid responsibility.

subterfuge 来自拉丁语，由前缀 sub-（表示"在...之下"）和词根 -terfuge（与"逃避"相关）组成，字面意思是"在表面之下的逃避行为"。这个词指"诡计、托辞"，特别是指为了逃避责任或隐瞒真实意图而使用的欺骗性手段。