(n.) One who makes an apology; an apologist.

Maecenas abet abettor acquaintance admirer advance advise aficionado agent aid and abet allege in support alpenstock alter ego alternate amicus curiae angel answer apologete apologist apologizer argue for arm assert athletic supporter attorney attorney-at-law back backbone backer backing backstop backup backup man bandeau barrister barrister-at-law bearer best friend blandish boost bosom friend bra brace bracer bracket brassiere brief brother buff buttress cajole call on call upon cane carrier casual acquaintance cervix champion close acquaintance close friend coach coax comfort commend confer confidant confidante consult with contend for corset counsel counselor counselor-at-law countenance counter crook crutch cry up defend defender dependence deputy direct dummy embolden encourage encourager endorse endorser espouse executive officer exhort exponent expounder familiar fan favor favorer fellow fellow creature fellowman figurehead forward foundation garment friend friend at court fulcrum girdle go for guard guide guy guywire hearten high-pressure hype importune inseparable friend insist insist upon instruct intercessor intimate jawbone jock jockstrap justifier justify keep in countenance kibitz lawyer legal adviser legal counselor legal expert legal practitioner legalist lieutenant lobby locum locum tenens lover mainstay maintain maintainer make a plea mast meddle mouthpiece nag neck neighbor other self paladin paranymph partisan patron pickup pinch hitter plead for plead with pleader plug prescribe press pressure proctor procurator promote promoter prop proponent propose protagonist protector proxy puff push rebut recommend refute reinforce reinforcement reinforcer reliance reply repository representative respond rest resting place rigging riposte say in defense sea lawyer second second in command secondary seconder sectary self-styled lawyer shine upon shoulder shroud side with sider smile upon soft-soap solicitor speak for speak highly of speak up for speak warmly of speak well of spine sponsor sprit staff stalwart stand behind stand up for stand-in standby standing rigging stave stay stick stick up for stiffener strengthener submit subscribe substitute successful advocate suggest support supporter surrogate sustain sustainer sweet-talk sympathizer tout understudy uphold upholder urge urge reasons for utility man vicar vicar general vice vicegerent vindicate vindicator