50 Idioms for Sorry (Meanings & Examples)

Idioms are fun phrases where the words together mean something totally different from what they say one by one. People use them to make talking and writing more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn fifty handy expressions related to apologizing, expressing regret, and making amends.

In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean saying sorry, taking responsibility, or asking for forgiveness. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Sorry

1. Eat crow

Definition: To admit that you were completely wrong and humble yourself after making a mistake.

Used in a Sentence: He had to eat crow after insisting the game was canceled when it was actually playing. / She ate crow when her friends proved her wrong about the homework instructions.

Similar Expressions: Admit fault / Humble yourself

2. Swallow your pride

Definition: To put aside your ego and say you are sorry or ask for help.

Used in a Sentence: He had to swallow his pride and apologize for breaking his brother’s toy. / She swallowed her pride to ask her classmate for help with the math project.

Similar Expressions: Drop your ego / Humble yourself

3. Kick yourself

Definition: To feel angry, foolish, or regretful about a silly mistake you made.

Used in a Sentence: He could have kicked himself for leaving his backpack on the bus. / She kicked herself for forgetting to save her art project file.

Similar Expressions: Regret deeply / Kick the air

4. Beat yourself up

Definition: To blame yourself excessively or feel too guilty about a past mistake.

Used in a Sentence: Don’t beat yourself up over missing one trivia question on the test. / He told his friend not to beat himself up for dropping the ball.

Similar Expressions: Blame yourself / Overthink guilt

5. Clear the air

Definition: To apologize, talk honestly, and resolve tension or misunderstandings.

Used in a Sentence: They wanted to clear the air after arguing about the playground rules. / A sincere apology helped clear the air between the two friends.

Similar Expressions: Resolve tension / Clear up issues

6. Make amends

Definition: To do something special to show you are sorry and fix a mistake you caused.

Used in a Sentence: He wanted to make amends by helping his neighbor rake the leaves after breaking a garden flower. / She baked cookies to make amends for snapping at her sister.

Similar Expressions: Fix a mistake / Compensate

7. Bend over backwards

Definition: To try extremely hard to apologize, please someone, or fix a wrong.

Used in a Sentence: The store manager bent over backwards to replace the damaged item and apologize. / She bent over backwards to make sure everyone felt welcome after the misunderstanding.

Similar Expressions: Try extra hard / Go out of your way

8. Turn over a new leaf

Definition: To change your behavior, apologize for past actions, and start acting responsibly.

Used in a Sentence: He promised to turn over a new leaf and stop teasing his classmates. / After apologizing for being late, she promised to turn over a new leaf.

Similar Expressions: Start fresh / Change for the better

9. Carry the cross

Definition: To accept the blame, guilt, and consequences for a mistake you made.

Used in a Sentence: Since he started the argument, he had to carry the cross and apologize first. / She accepted responsibility and carried the cross for the ruined poster.

Similar Expressions: Take the blame / Bear the burden

10. Face the music

Definition: To accept the unpleasant consequences of a mistake or wrongdoing and apologize.

Used in a Sentence: He knew he had to face the music after tracking mud across the clean kitchen floor. / She went to the principal’s office to face the music and say sorry.

Similar Expressions: Accept consequences / Take responsibility

11. Bite the bullet

Definition: To face a difficult apology or unpleasant situation with courage.

Used in a Sentence: He had to bite the bullet and tell his teacher he lost the library book. / She decided to bite the bullet and apologize for her harsh words.

Similar Expressions: Tough it out / Face reality

12. Own up to it

Definition: To openly confess your mistake and take full responsibility without making excuses.

Used in a Sentence: It takes courage to own up to it when you break something by accident. / He decided to own up to it instead of hiding the broken vase.

Similar Expressions: Confess / Take responsibility

13. Cry over spilled milk

Definition: To waste time worrying or feeling sorry about a mistake that cannot be changed.

Used in a Sentence: Dropping the cup was an accident, but there is no use crying over spilled milk. / Clean up the mess and stop crying over spilled milk.

Similar Expressions: Regret uselessly / Move on

14. Let bygones be bygones

Definition: To forgive past mistakes and agree to forget old arguments.

Used in a Sentence: After they both apologized, they decided to let bygones be bygones and play soccer. / Let bygones be bygones and start fresh tomorrow.

Similar Expressions: Forgive and forget / Move past it

15. Bury the hatchet

Definition: To make peace, end a quarrel, and apologize to each other.

Used in a Sentence: The two friends decided to bury the hatchet after arguing over a board game. / It is always better to bury the hatchet than hold a grudge.

Similar Expressions: Make peace / End a fight

16. Patch things up

Definition: To repair a damaged relationship through an apology and friendly talk.

Used in a Sentence: They spent recess trying to patch things up after their disagreement. / She called her friend to patch things up after the misunderstanding.

Similar Expressions: Fix a friendship / Make peace

17. Olive branch

Definition: A gesture or symbol offered to show you want peace and forgiveness.

Used in a Sentence: He offered an olive branch by sharing his lunch with the boy he argued with. / Sending a greeting card was her olive branch of peace.

Similar Expressions: Peace offering / Friendly gesture

18. Extend an apology

Definition: To formally and politely say you are sorry to someone.

Used in a Sentence: The student decided to extend an apology to the librarian for shouting. / He extended an apology for missing the group meeting.

Similar Expressions: Apologize formally / Say sorry

19. Ask for forgiveness

Definition: To humbly request that someone pardon your mistake and stop being upset.

Used in a Sentence: She went to her mother to ask for forgiveness for tracking dirt inside. / He knew he made a mistake and had to ask for forgiveness.

Similar Expressions: Seek pardon / Request grace

20. Mea culpa

Definition: A Latin phrase used to openly admit personal fault and say sorry.

Used in a Sentence: With a quiet smile, he offered a quick mea culpa for forgetting the supplies. / She raised her hand with a playful mea culpa when her guess was wrong.

Similar Expressions: My fault / I am to blame

21. Beat a breast

Definition: To display extreme public sorrow, guilt, or remorse for a wrongdoing.

Used in a Sentence: There is no need to beat your breast over a minor typo in the report. / He felt so bad he started beating his breast with regret.

Similar Expressions: Show extreme remorse / Lament loudly

22. Hang your head in shame

Definition: To feel deeply apologetic, embarrassed, and regretful about a mistake.

Used in a Sentence: He hung his head in shame when his teacher found the hidden comic book. / She hung her head in shame after forgetting her lines on stage.

Similar Expressions: Feel embarrassed / Show regret

23. Eat humble pie

Definition: To admit you were wrong, apologize, and accept a lower position after bragging.

Used in a Sentence: He bragged that he would win the race easily, but had to eat humble pie when he finished last. / Losing the trivia contest made her eat humble pie.

Similar Expressions: Humble yourself / Admit defeat

24. Crawl on your belly

Definition: To beg humbly for forgiveness or mercy after a serious mistake.

Used in a Sentence: He didn’t want to crawl on his belly, but he had to apologize to get his privileges back. / She felt like she had to crawl on her belly to get her friend to talk to her.

Similar Expressions: Beg forgiveness / Humble completely

25. Sing a different tune

Definition: To change your attitude and offer an apology after realizing you were wrong.

Used in a Sentence: He was rude about the group project until he saw how hard everyone worked, then he sang a different tune. / She sang a different tune once she apologized for her words.

Similar Expressions: Change your stance / Alter your attitude

26. Back down

Definition: To admit you were wrong in an argument and stop fighting.

Used in a Sentence: He realized he was mistaken about the date and decided to back down gracefully. / Neither friend wanted to back down until one of them apologized.

Similar Expressions: Yield / Surrender an argument

27. Wave a white flag

Definition: To surrender during an argument and signal that you want to make peace.

Used in a Sentence: After arguing for ten minutes, he waved a white flag and said sorry. / She waved a white flag when she realized she forgot the facts.

Similar Expressions: Surrender / Yield peacefully

28. Eat your words

Definition: To admit that something you said earlier was completely wrong and apologize for it.

Used in a Sentence: When the underdog team won, the critics had to eat their words. / He had to eat his words after claiming the puzzle was impossible to solve.

Similar Expressions: Retract a statement / Admit error

29. Take it back

Definition: To retract something hurtful or incorrect you said and express regret.

Used in a Sentence: She immediately told her brother she wanted to take it back after saying a mean word. / “I didn’t mean that; please let me take it back.”

Similar Expressions: Retract words / Withdraw a statement

30. Look sheepish

Definition: Showing an embarrassed, apologetic expression after doing something silly or wrong.

Used in a Sentence: He looked sheepish when his mother asked who ate the last cookie. / She looked sheepish as she handed in her late homework.

Similar Expressions: Look embarrassed / Act apologetic

31. Slap on the wrist

Definition: A very minor punishment given to someone who has apologized for a small mistake.

Used in a Sentence: Because he owned up to his mistake immediately, he only got a slap on the wrist. / Breaking the minor rule resulted in a polite warning and a slap on the wrist.

Similar Expressions: Minor penalty / Light scolding

32. Clear your conscience

Definition: To confess a hidden mistake or say sorry so you feel relieved inside.

Used in a Sentence: He needed to clear his conscience by telling the truth about the broken plate. / Confessing what happened helped her clear her conscience.

Similar Expressions: Ease your mind / Clear guilt

33. Set the record straight

Definition: To apologize and correct a false statement you previously made.

Used in a Sentence: He called his friend to set the record straight and apologize for the rumor. / She wanted to set the record straight about who finished the puzzle.

Similar Expressions: Correct the truth / Clarify facts

34. Make a clean breast of it

Definition: To confess everything honestly and express deep regret for a wrongdoing.

Used in a Sentence: Knowing he couldn’t hide the mess anymore, he decided to make a clean breast of it. / She made a clean breast of it and apologized to the teacher.

Similar Expressions: Confess fully / Tell the truth

35. Cry uncle

Definition: To surrender, admit defeat, and ask for peace during a struggle.

Used in a Sentence: After wrestling with the tangled garden hose for ten minutes, he finally cried uncle. / She cried uncle when the homework became too difficult.

Similar Expressions: Surrender / Give up

36. Backpedal

Definition: To withdraw a previous statement or opinion and apologize for causing confusion.

*Used in a Sentence: He started to backpedal when he realized his joke hurt his friend’s feelings. / She began to backpedal upon learning her facts were incorrect.

Similar Expressions: Retract / Backtrack

37. Pay the piper

Definition: To accept the unpleasant consequences or punishment for a past mistake.

Used in a Sentence: He skipped studying all week, so now he had to pay the piper during the test. / Breaking the rules meant paying the piper with extra chores.

Similar Expressions: Face consequences / Accept penalties

38. Take your medicine

Definition: To accept a well-deserved punishment or scolding for a mistake without complaining.

Used in a Sentence: He knew he broke the rule, so he took his medicine quietly when scolded. / She sat down to take her medicine after forgetting her chores.

Similar Expressions: Accept punishment / Face facts

39. Mend fences

Definition: To repair a broken relationship or friendship after a disagreement.

Used in a Sentence: They spent the afternoon trying to mend fences after a silly playground argument. / He reached out to his cousin to mend fences.

Similar Expressions: Fix relationships / Rebuild trust

40. Kiss and make up

Definition: To forgive each other, stop fighting, and return to being friendly.

Used in a Sentence: After a brief disagreement, the two siblings hugged, kissed, and made up. / It is always best to apologize quickly, kiss, and make up.

Similar Expressions: Forgive and be friends / Make peace

41. Start with a clean slate

Definition: To wipe away past mistakes and begin a relationship or project with fresh apologies.

Used in a Sentence: They apologized to each other and decided to start with a clean slate. / Turning the page in the notebook felt like starting with a clean slate.

Similar Expressions: Fresh start / New beginning

42. Wipe the slate clean

Definition: To forget past misbehavior or apologies and start fresh with someone.

Used in a Sentence: The teacher told the class they could wipe the slate clean for the new semester. / He hoped his sincere apology would wipe the slate clean.

Similar Expressions: Forgive past mistakes / Reset

43. Kiss goodbye

Definition: To accept that a mistake has ruined a chance or item permanently.

Used in a Sentence: He had to kiss his allowance goodbye after breaking the neighbor’s window. / Missing the deadline meant kissing the contest prize goodbye.

Similar Expressions: Lose permanently / Give up

44. Pass the hat

Definition: To collect money or apologies from a group to fix a shared mistake.

Used in a Sentence: When they accidentally broke the classroom model, they passed the hat to buy replacement parts. / They worked together to fix the error.

Similar Expressions: Pool resources / Share blame

45. Carry the can

Definition: To take the blame and punishment for a mistake that others also helped make.

Used in a Sentence: Even though three kids made the mess, he decided to carry the can and clean it alone. / She carried the can for the late group project.

Similar Expressions: Take sole blame / Bear responsibility

46. Fall on your sword

Definition: To take full blame and accept severe consequences voluntarily to protect others.

Used in a Sentence: The team captain decided to fall on his sword and take the blame for the lost match. / He fell on his sword to keep his younger brother out of trouble.

Similar Expressions: Take the fall / Selfless sacrifice

47. Take the rap

Definition: To accept punishment or blame for a wrongdoing, sometimes on behalf of someone else.

Used in a Sentence: He refused to let his friend take the rap for the broken fence, so he confessed. / She took the rap for the missing supplies.

Similar Expressions: Take the blame / Accept punishment

48. Wear sackcloth and ashes

Definition: An old expression for showing deep, traditional remorse and sorrow for a sin or mistake.

Used in a Sentence: He didn’t need to wear sackcloth and ashes, but a simple sorry would suffice. / She felt so guilty she acted like she was wearing sackcloth and ashes.

Similar Expressions: Mourn deeply / Show extreme regret

49. Cry me a river

Definition: A sarcastic phrase used when someone is complaining too much about a small regret instead of saying sorry.

Used in a Sentence: When he complained about missing his favorite show because of chores, his sister told him to cry me a river. / Stop whining and fix the mistake instead of crying a river.

Similar Expressions: Stop complaining / Get over it

50. Say uncle

Definition: To yield, admit defeat, and ask for forgiveness during a dispute.

Used in a Sentence: After arguing for an hour, he finally had to say uncle and apologize. / She wouldn’t stop teasing until her brother said uncle.

Similar Expressions: Surrender / Admit fault

Exercise to Practice

1. Eating crow means bragging loudly about how wonderful and perfect you are.
2. Swallowing your pride means putting aside your ego to say sorry or ask for help.
3. Kicking yourself means feeling regretful about a silly mistake you made.
4. Clearing the air means starting a loud, angry argument that never ends.
5. Making amends means doing something special to show you are sorry and fix a mistake.
6. Burying the hatchet means hiding weapons in the backyard garden.
7. Owning up to it means confessing your mistake and taking responsibility without excuses.
8. Crying over spilled milk means worrying over a mistake that cannot be changed.
9. Looking sheepish means showing an embarrassed, apologetic expression.
10. Wiping the slate clean means writing messy ink notes all over a whiteboard.
11. Falling on your sword means taking full blame to protect others from consequences.
12. Taking the rap means avoiding all punishment and blaming an innocent bystander.
13. Bending over backwards means trying extremely hard to apologize and fix a wrong.
14. Letting bygones be bygones means holding a grudge and refusing to forgive.
15. Saying uncle means to surrender, admit defeat, and ask for forgiveness.

Answer Key

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. False
11. True
12. False
13. True
14. False
15. True

Conclusion

Learning these idioms helps you understand common English expressions about apologizing, expressing regret, and making amends. Using them in your daily writing and conversations makes your speech much more colorful and fun.

Try picking one or two new expressions to use when talking with friends or writing stories this week. Practice makes perfect, and soon using these phrases will feel completely natural!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for saying sorry?

Common expressions include swallow your pride, eat crow, and make amends. People use these phrases to describe admitting faults, apologizing sincerely, and fixing mistakes.

Why do we use idioms in English?

Idioms make our language more expressive, colorful, and engaging than plain literal words. They help us share complex ideas quickly using fun mental pictures.

What does eat crow mean?

Eat crow means to admit that you were completely wrong and humble yourself after making a mistake. The vivid imagery comes from the unappealing idea of having to eat something unpleasant.

How can I remember these idioms easily?

You can remember them best by making up fun sentences or drawing pictures for each phrase. Using them in daily conversations also helps lock them into your memory.

Are these expressions used in everyday conversation?

Yes, native speakers often use these idioms in books, movies, and regular chats. Knowing them helps you understand everyday English much better.