What does 'sorry about that' mean?

In the US "Sorry about that," is a bit of a catch-phrase meaning that one isn't really very sorry - I would avoid it. If you want to use the word sorry you might say, "I'm sorry to bother you but I need to get by." For this specific situation, one would most likely say "excuse me." That's what I'd say.

Should you say'sorry about' or 'sorry for'?

Using “sorry about” takes away from the gravity of the apology and seems insincere. We’ll cover some more examples to help you understand how they work. “Sorry for” is the most common choice of the two, so you’ll likely come across this a lot more often than anything else.

What is the difference between'sorry for' and 'sorry about'?

“Sorry for” and “sorry about” aren’t always interchangeable. You can use “sorry for” in place of “sorry about” more often than not, but you can’t use “sorry about” in place of “sorry for.” To help you understand this, we’ll include some examples: I’m sorry about your loss. I’m sorry for your loss.