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
-
The administration has also sought to restrict work permits for asylum-seekers and to reexamine the cases of legal refugees admitted under the Biden administration.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026 -
The motion alleges that the court made a mistake in admitting a statement made by Herrera to law enforcement officers during the investigation and allowing certain evidence to be permitted, according to court documents.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee
March 29,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
California metal vets Neurosis have surprised-released An Undying Love for a Burning World, their first album in a decade, and first since co-founder Scott Kelly left the band after confessing to domestic abuse.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Sources say the men denied the allegations but eventually confessed under severe torture.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth acknowledged as much on March 10.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Even the Biden administration acknowledged that.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bradlow and Crowley conceded that agents can be error-prone, even hallucinatory, and on a mass scale, that could lead to widespread errors.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Red Wings have conceded 208 goals while scoring 205 for a -3 scoring differential.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.
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