excusing, explaining away, extenuating, glossing (over), glozing (over), palliating, whitewashing
sugarcoating, varnishingapologizing, atoning, confessingaccounting (for), explaining, justifying, rationalizingminimizing, playing down, soft-pedalingalleviating, easing, lessening, lightening, mitigating, moderating, softening, temperingabsolving, acquitting, clearing, exculpating, exonerating, vindicating