own up
phrasal verb
owned up; owning up; owns up
: to admit that one has done a usually bad thing : to confess to something
I know he broke the window, but so far, he hasn't owned up.
—usually + toI'm waiting for him to own up to it.
Examples of own up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Accountability Perhaps one of the toughest tasks a leader is faced with in their career is that of owning up to mistakes—a quality associated with emotional intelligence.
—
Rachel Wells, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This willingness to own up to mistakes creates an atmosphere of honesty and accountability, which is essential for maintaining healthy interpersonal dynamics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Post-transition, however, Sante owns up to missing the invisibility of maleness, whether walking down the street late at night or having an identity as a writer that is read as neutral.
—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Lauren actually owned up to being the one to say it.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Is forcing a child to own up to a mistake always the right choice?
—Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Legend was quick to own up to his past rejection of Curbelo in his pitch to the Massachusetts vocalist.
—USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
That’s because true remorse involves owning up to your bad behavior—even if forgiveness isn’t guaranteed, McKinney says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 23 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Barrymore said that she’s owned up to her romantic mistakes in conversations with exes.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024
Rachel Wells, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This willingness to own up to mistakes creates an atmosphere of honesty and accountability, which is essential for maintaining healthy interpersonal dynamics.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Post-transition, however, Sante owns up to missing the invisibility of maleness, whether walking down the street late at night or having an identity as a writer that is read as neutral.
—Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Lauren actually owned up to being the one to say it.
—Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Is forcing a child to own up to a mistake always the right choice?
—Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Legend was quick to own up to his past rejection of Curbelo in his pitch to the Massachusetts vocalist.
—USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
That’s because true remorse involves owning up to your bad behavior—even if forgiveness isn’t guaranteed, McKinney says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 23 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Barrymore said that she’s owned up to her romantic mistakes in conversations with exes.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'own up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near own up
Cite this Entry
“Own up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/own%20up. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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