fess

1 of 2

verb

fessed; fessing; fesses

intransitive verb

: to own up : confess
usually used with up

fess

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly fesse
1
: a broad horizontal bar across the middle of a heraldic field
2
: the center point of an armorial escutcheon

Examples of fess in a Sentence

Verb he fessed up to breaking the antique vase only after his guilt was obvious at first he denied everything, but eventually he realized that he had no choice but to fess up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Measurement must, at times, suffice as a substitute for understanding, but measurers must fess up to this fudging up-front—as did the inimitable Richard Feynman. WIRED, 9 Feb. 2023 Before taking any action make certain to honestly fess up to your advisers about what your real concerns are. Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 So c'mon, Alec, fess up, what did Bryce tell you? CBS News, 1 Nov. 2022 Before making any major life decisions, Joe needed to fess up to what happened earlier. Dana Rose Falcone, PEOPLE.com, 5 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for fess

Word History

Etymology

Verb

short for confess

Noun

Middle English fesse, from Anglo-French faisse band, from Latin fascia — more at fascia

First Known Use

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fess was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fess. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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