apologizing

verb

present participle of apologize
as in confessing
to express regret for doing or saying something wrong I want to apologize to you for my rude behavior yesterday. We apologize for the mistake and promise that it won't happen again.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of apologizing Finally, prosecutors presented new evidence, including Colt’s notebooks outlining his plans and his statements to investigators admitting to the shooting and apologizing. — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Jason Alexander is apologizing after Courtney Stodden called him out over a controversial sketch. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026 Later on Thursday, Real Salt Lake issued a statement apologizing to JJ and Kealia. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Metz also addressed the court and started by apologizing to the teens and their families. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 7 July 2026 Wealthy merchants, landowners and even religious leaders enjoyed having nice things in their homes and stopped apologizing for them. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 If your team is constantly apologizing to customers, missing deliverables or running on fumes, growth has outpaced your foundation. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The convention’s 2022 annual meeting passed a resolution apologizing to abuse survivors, several of them by name. — ABC News, 25 June 2026 Bailey Zimmerman is apologizing after a warrant for the country singer’s arrest was issued following an incident at a New Mexico hotel. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apologizing
  1. confessing
  2. excusing
  3. explaining
  4. justifying
Verb
  • The second season of the Netflix hit ended on a cliffhanger with Jackie (Rodriguez) and Cole (LaLonde) finally confessing their feelings for each other, but Cole’s brother — and Jackie’s boyfriend — Alex (Gentry) hears the confession.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • During her trial, prosecutors played a recording of Yang confessing to Reuter's murder to a friend who was wearing a wire.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of confessing
Verb
  • Not that Miss Manners is excusing those who burst into dinner parties after the roast has been ruined — along with the other guests’ attitudes, most likely — and then blame it on traffic.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Part of that is the team’s fault, as Boone and Cashman have spent much of his career staunchly defending and excusing the former first-round pick’s poor play.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • The first spends the answer explaining that management never provided the necessary materials, no experienced coworker offered assistance and expectations were unrealistic.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Like with Meta, Microsoft on Wednesday evening needs to do a better job explaining its AI strategy and justifying the massive levels of capex spend.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 July 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • Like with Meta, Microsoft on Wednesday evening needs to do a better job explaining its AI strategy and justifying the massive levels of capex spend.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 26 July 2026
  • Organizations that approach agentic AI this way build foundational capabilities that span dozens of workflows and shift the ROI conversation from justifying each agent individually to achieving compounding returns across the enterprise.
    — Joe Locandro, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of justifying

Browse Nearby Words

apologizes
apologizing
apologue
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Cite this Entry

“Apologizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apologizing. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on apologizing

Nglish: Translation of apologizing for Spanish Speakers

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