THESAURUS
Apology
abject apology, acknowledgment, admission, advocating, advocation, alibi, amends, apologetic, apologetics, apologia, apologies, argument, argumentation, atonement, attrition, ayenbite of inwit, bicker, bickering, bitterness, blind, breast-beating, casuistry, championing, change of heart, cloak, color, concession, confession, contention, contriteness, contrition, controversy, cover, cover story, cover-up, deathbed repentance, defense, device, disputation, dispute, espousal, excuse, extenuation, facade, feint, flyting, front, gloss, grief, guise, handle, hassle, heartfelt apology, hubbub, justification, lame excuse, litigation, locus standi, logomachy, mask, mea culpa, ostensible motive, palliation, paper war, passage of arms, penance, penitence, polemic, polemics, poor excuse, pretense, pretension, pretext, protestation, public motive, put-off, redress, reformation, refuge, regret, regretfulness, regrets, regretting, remorse, remorse of conscience, remorsefulness, reparation, repentance, repining, rhubarb, saeta, satisfaction, screen, semblance, set-to, sham, shame, shamefacedness, shamefastness, shamefulness, show, smoke screen, sorriness, sorrow, stalking-horse, stratagem, subterfuge, support, trick, varnish, veil, verbal engagement, war of words, wearing a hairshirt, wistfulness, wrangling
ROGET THESAURUS
Apology
Vindication
N
vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.
Penitence
N
penitence, contrition, compunction, repentance, remorse, regret, self-reproach, self-reproof, self-accusation, self-condemnation, self-humiliation, stings of conscience, pangs of conscience, qualms of conscience, prickings of conscience, twinge of conscience, twitch of conscience, touch of conscience, voice of conscience, compunctious visitings of nature, acknowledgment, confession, apology, recantation, penance, resipiscence, awakened conscience, deathbed repentance, locus paenitentiae, stool of repentance, cuttystool, penitent, repentant, Magdalen, prodigal son, a sadder and a wiser man, penitent, repenting, repentant, contrite, conscience- smitten, conscience-stricken, self-accusing, self-convicted, penitential, penitentiary, reclaimed, reborn, not hardened, unhardened, mea culpa, peccavi, erubuit, salva res est, Tu l'as voulu, Georges Dandin, and wet his grave with my repentant tears.
Atonement
N
atonement, reparation, compromise, composition, compensation, quittance, quits, expiation, redemption, reclamation, conciliation, propitiation, indemnification, redress, amends, apology, amende honorable, satisfaction, peace offering, sin offering, burnt offering, scapegoat, sacrifice, penance, fasting, maceration, sackcloth and ashes, white sheet, shrift, flagellation, lustration, purgation, purgatory.