1
as in to admit
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
he fessed up to breaking the antique vase only after his guilt was obvious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to confess
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
at first he denied everything, but eventually he realized that he had no choice but to fess up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)
Verb
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During a meeting with community members that year, Balaji Vaidyanathan, ADEQ’s deputy director of its air quality division, admitted that the agency messed up.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026 -
Perhaps adults in her life did not admit their shortcomings easily.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Officers reviewed surveillance video from the a business in the 1300 block of Northwest Sixth Street where the man had allegedly confessed.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
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Elicker also said the former chief had confessed to taking the funds for personal use after being confronted by three of his deputies over financial irregularities.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the ceremony, BAFTA host Alan Cumming briefly halted proceedings to acknowledge Davidson’s tics.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
23 Feb. 2026
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Mandelson twice had to resign from government during the Blair administration over allegations of financial or ethical impropriety, acknowledging mistakes but denying wrongdoing.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead, their buffer is only four and their remarkable defensive record is ever-so-slightly less remarkable, with seven goals conceded in 23 league games.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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In the nineteenth century, travel to remote frontiers beyond the reach of telegraph had insulated Britain’s men on the spot from London’s authority, conceding them the freedom to seize new territory.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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