own up
phrasal verbowned up; owning up; owns up
Definition of own 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.
Comments on own up
What made you want to look up own up? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share own up