Saying sorry is an important part of fixing mistakes and making friends feel better. People often use special phrases called idioms to apologize in a fun and creative way. Idioms for apology help us express that we feel bad or regret what happened without just saying “I’m sorry.” These phrases make talking about apologies more interesting and easy to remember.
In this article, you will learn about idioms for apology and what they mean. You will also see examples of how to use these idioms in everyday situations. Knowing these phrases can help you understand others better and say sorry in a way that sounds natural and kind.
Idioms for Apology
1. Eat humble pie
Meaning: To say sorry and admit you were wrong.
Samples: I had to eat humble pie after breaking my sister’s toy. / He ate humble pie when he forgot our plans.
To Put it Another Way: I said sorry and felt bad. / I admitted I made a mistake.
2. Make amends
Meaning: To fix a mistake by saying sorry or helping.
Samples: She made amends by cleaning the mess she made. / I made amends with my friend after we argued.
To Put it Another Way: I tried to fix what I did wrong. / I showed I was sorry by helping.
3. Eat crow
Meaning: To feel embarrassed and say sorry for being wrong.
Samples: After losing the bet, he had to eat crow. / I ate crow when I said the answer was right but it was wrong.
To Put it Another Way: I felt embarrassed and apologized. / I admitted I was mistaken.
4. Bend over backward
Meaning: To try very hard to say sorry or help.
Samples: She bent over backward to fix her mistake. / I bent over backward to make my friend feel better.
To Put it Another Way: I worked hard to say sorry. / I did my best to help fix things.
5. Turn the other cheek
Meaning: To forgive someone and not get angry.
Samples: He turned the other cheek when his friend made a mistake. / I turned the other cheek after being teased.
To Put it Another Way: I chose to forgive. / I didn’t get mad even when I was hurt.
6. Say sorry with your heart
Meaning: To apologize sincerely and mean it.
Samples: She said sorry with her heart and meant it. / I said sorry with my heart after bumping into my classmate.
To Put it Another Way: I truly felt sorry. / I was honest when I said sorry.
7. Take it on the chin
Meaning: To accept blame or punishment without complaining.
Samples: He took it on the chin when he made a mistake in the game. / I took it on the chin after breaking the vase.
To Put it Another Way: I accepted what happened. / I didn’t complain about being wrong.
8. Put your hands up
Meaning: To admit you did something wrong.
Samples: She put her hands up and said she was sorry. / I put my hands up when I forgot my homework.
To Put it Another Way: I said I did it. / I owned my mistake.
9. Make it right
Meaning: To fix a wrong by apologizing or helping.
Samples: He made it right by cleaning the spilled juice. / I made it right after forgetting my friend’s birthday.
To Put it Another Way: I fixed the problem. / I showed I was sorry by helping.
10. Eat your words
Meaning: To admit you were wrong about what you said.
Samples: He had to eat his words after the plan didn’t work. / I ate my words when I said the team would lose.
To Put it Another Way: I said sorry for what I said. / I admitted I was wrong about my words.
11. Own up
Meaning: To admit you did something wrong.
Samples: She owned up to breaking the window. / I owned up when I lost my library book.
To Put it Another Way: I told the truth about my mistake. / I didn’t hide what I did.
12. Say you’re sorry
Meaning: To tell someone you regret what you did.
Samples: He said he was sorry for being late. / I said I was sorry after bumping into my friend.
To Put it Another Way: I told them I felt bad. / I asked for forgiveness.
13. Apologize from the heart
Meaning: To say sorry with true feelings.
Samples: She apologized from the heart after hurting her friend’s feelings. / I apologized from the heart when I broke the vase.
To Put it Another Way: I truly meant it when I said sorry. / I felt sorry inside.
14. Make up for
Meaning: To do something to fix a mistake or hurt.
Samples: He made up for forgetting the homework by helping with chores. / I made up for being rude by saying nice things.
To Put it Another Way: I tried to fix what I did wrong. / I showed I was sorry with actions.
15. Clear the air
Meaning: To talk and fix bad feelings after a problem.
Samples: We cleared the air after arguing. / I cleared the air by saying sorry to my friend.
To Put it Another Way: We made things better by talking. / We stopped being upset.
16. Say “my bad”
Meaning: A casual way to admit a small mistake.
Samples: “My bad,” he said after spilling juice. / I said “my bad” when I forgot the rules.
To Put it Another Way: I admitted it was my fault. / I said I messed up.
17. Make a clean breast of it
Meaning: To tell the truth and admit a mistake.
Samples: She made a clean breast of it and said she took the cookie. / I made a clean breast of it and told the teacher.
To Put it Another Way: I told the truth honestly. / I said what really happened.
18. Pay the price
Meaning: To accept the result of a mistake.
Samples: He paid the price by staying after school. / I paid the price by losing screen time.
To Put it Another Way: I accepted the punishment. / I faced the consequences.
19. Hold your hands up
Meaning: To admit you made a mistake.
Samples: I held my hands up after forgetting to do my chores. / She held her hands up when she lost the game.
To Put it Another Way: I accepted that I was wrong. / I told the truth about my mistake.
20. Do the right thing
Meaning: To fix a mistake by apologizing or helping.
Samples: He did the right thing and said sorry. / I did the right thing by telling the truth.
To Put it Another Way: I made things better. / I showed I cared.
21. Own your mistake
Meaning: To accept that you did something wrong.
Samples: She owned her mistake and said sorry. / I owned my mistake when I broke the toy.
To Put it Another Way: I admitted I was wrong. / I took responsibility.
22. Say it straight
Meaning: To apologize clearly and honestly.
Samples: He said it straight and said sorry. / I said it straight when I hurt my friend.
To Put it Another Way: I spoke honestly. / I told the truth.
23. Make peace
Meaning: To stop fighting and say sorry.
Samples: They made peace after the argument. / I made peace by apologizing to my sister.
To Put it Another Way: We stopped being angry. / We became friends again.
24. Give a heartfelt apology
Meaning: To say sorry with strong, true feelings.
Samples: She gave a heartfelt apology after breaking the vase. / I gave a heartfelt apology when I was mean.
To Put it Another Way: I said sorry sincerely. / I meant what I said.
25. Take responsibility
Meaning: To accept that something was your fault.
Samples: He took responsibility for losing the game. / I took responsibility when I forgot my homework.
To Put it Another Way: I said it was my fault. / I owned my actions.
26. Mend fences
Meaning: To fix a friendship after a mistake.
Samples: They mended fences after the fight. / I tried to mend fences by saying sorry.
To Put it Another Way: We fixed our friendship. / We made up after problems.
27. Say it with actions
Meaning: To show you are sorry by what you do, not just words.
Samples: She said sorry with actions by helping clean. / I said sorry with actions by sharing my toys.
To Put it Another Way: I showed I was sorry by helping. / I didn’t just say sorry, I did something too.
28. Make a fresh start
Meaning: To begin again after saying sorry.
Samples: We made a fresh start after apologizing. / I made a fresh start by being kinder.
To Put it Another Way: We tried again. / We forgot the past and moved on.
29. Say it plain
Meaning: To apologize simply and clearly.
Samples: He said it plain and said sorry. / I said it plain when I was wrong.
To Put it Another Way: I said sorry in a clear way. / I spoke simply and honestly.
30. Clear your conscience
Meaning: To say sorry so you feel better inside.
Samples: She cleared her conscience by apologizing. / I cleared my conscience after saying sorry.
To Put it Another Way: I felt better after saying sorry. / I wasn’t worried after apologizing.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Apology
Last week at school, Mia accidentally bumped into her friend Jake and knocked over his books. She quickly said, “My bad! I didn’t see you there.” Jake smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’ll turn the other cheek.” Later, Mia tried to make amends by helping Jake carry his books to class.
At recess, they played basketball, but Mia missed an easy shot. She said, “I guess I have to eat humble pie today.” Jake laughed and said, “That’s alright, we all make mistakes.” After class, Mia decided to clear the air by talking honestly about the mix-up with their project.
Jake appreciated that Mia owned up to what happened. They both agreed to make a fresh start and keep working together. Mia promised to say sorry with her heart next time if she made a mistake.
Activity:
Read the passage again. Can you underline or list all 8 idioms for apology you find?
Answer Key
- My bad
- Turn the other cheek
- Make amends
- Eat humble pie
- Clear the air
- Own up
- Make a fresh start
- Say sorry with your heart
Conclusion
Idioms for apology help us say sorry in ways that feel real and kind. They make it easier to talk about mistakes and fix problems with friends. Using these phrases shows that you care and want to make things better.
Learning these idioms can help you understand others and say sorry clearly. Whether you need to own up or make amends, these sayings help us keep good friendships and grow as people.
