| Main Entry: | cop a plea |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | plead guilty for a lesser sentence |
Synonyms: |
get off on a technicality, plea-bargain |
| Main Entry: | acknowledge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | admit truth or reality of something |
Synonyms: |
accede, accept, acquiesce, allow, avow, come clean, come out of closet, concede, confess, cop a plea, crack*, declare, fess up, get off chest, grant, let on, open up, own, profess, recognize, yield |
Antonyms: |
abjure, contradict, disavow, renounce |
| Main Entry: | admit |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confess, acknowledge |
Synonyms: |
accept, accord, acquiesce, adopt, affirm, agree, allow, approve, avow, bare, bring to light, communicate, concede, concur, confide, confirm, consent, cop a plea, credit, declare, disclose, divulge, enumerate, expose, go into details, grant, indicate, let, let on, make known, narrate, number, open up, own, own up, permit, proclaim, profess, recite, recognize, relate, reveal, spill*, subscribe to, talk, tell, tolerate, uncover, unveil, yield |
| Notes: | with admit, the acknowledgment of something being true applies to one's own sphere of conduct, whereas with concede the acknowledgment applies to another's; admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications |
Antonyms: |
confute, deny, dispute, dissent, gainsay, refuse |
| Main Entry: | apologize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | express remorse, regret |
Synonyms: |
admit guilt, ask forgiveness, ask pardon, atone, beg pardon, bow to, clear oneself, confess, cop a plea, cop out, crawl*, excuse oneself, get down on knees, give satisfaction, make amends, make reparations, make up for, make up with, offer compensation, offer excuse, purge, retract, say one is sorry, square*, withdraw |
Antonyms: |
defy |
| Main Entry: | equivocate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | avoid an issue |
Synonyms: |
beat around the bush, beg the question, blow hot and cold, cavil, cloud the issue, con, cop a plea, cop out, cover up, dodge, double-talk, elude, escape, eschew, evade, falsify, fence, fib, flip-flop, fudge, give run around, hedge, hem and haw, jive, lie, mince words, palter, parry, pass the buck, prevaricate, pussyfoot, quibble, run around, shuck, shuffle, sidestep, sit on the fence, stonewall, tell white lie, tergiversate, tergiverse, waffle, weasel |
Antonyms: |
face, meet, speak on |
| Main Entry: | hedge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | avoid, dodge |
Synonyms: |
be noncommittal, beat around the bush, blow hot and cold, cop a plea, cop out, duck, equivocate, evade, flip-flop, fudge, give the run around, hem and haw, jive, pass the buck, prevaricate, pussyfoot, quibble, run around, shilly-shally, shuck, shuffle, sidestep, sit on the fence, stall, stonewall, temporize, tergiversate, tergiverse, waffle |
Antonyms: |
confront, face, meet |
| Main Entry: | justify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | legitimize, substantiate |
Synonyms: |
absolve, acquit, advocate, alibi, answer for, apologize for, approve, argue for, assert, be answerable for, bear out, brief, claim, clear, condone, confirm, contend, cop a plea, countenance, crawl, defend, do justice to, establish, exculpate, excuse, exonerate, explain, favor, legalize, maintain, make allowances, make good, palliate, pardon, plead, rationalize, rebut, show cause, speak in favor, square, stand up for, support, sustain, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant |
| Main Entry: | plead |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | beg, request |
Synonyms: |
appeal, ask, beseech, cop a plea, crave, crawl, entreat, entreaty, implore, importune, make up for, petition, pray, solicit, square things, supplicate |
Antonyms: |
answer, reply |
| Main Entry: | plead |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | present a defense |
Synonyms: |
adduce, advocate, allege, answer charges, argue, assert, avouch, cite, cop a plea, declare, give evidence, maintain, plea bargain, present, put forward, respond, use as excuse, vouch |
Antonyms: |
decide, punish, sentence |
| Main Entry: | rationalize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make excuse; justify |
Synonyms: |
account for, apply logic, cop a plea, cop out, deliberate, elucidate, excise, excuse, explain away, extenuate, give alibi, intellectualize, justify, make allowance, reason, reason out, reconcile, resolve, think, think through, vindicate |