Synonym Chooser

How does the verb admit contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of admit are acknowledge, avow, confess, and own. While all these words mean "to disclose against one's will or inclination," admit implies reluctance to disclose, grant, or concede and refers usually to facts rather than their implications.

admitted the project was over budget

When would acknowledge be a good substitute for admit?

The words acknowledge and admit can be used in similar contexts, but acknowledge implies the disclosing of something that has been or might be concealed.

acknowledged an earlier peccadillo

When can avow be used instead of admit?

The words avow and admit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, avow implies boldly declaring, often in the face of hostility, what one might be expected to be silent about.

avowed that he was a revolutionary

Where would confess be a reasonable alternative to admit?

While the synonyms confess and admit are close in meaning, confess may apply to an admission of a weakness, failure, omission, or guilt.

confessed a weakness for sweets

When is it sensible to use own instead of admit?

In some situations, the words own and admit are roughly equivalent. However, own implies acknowledging something in close relation to oneself.

must own I know little about computers

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of admit For one thing, the cultural shift that led to safe spaces and trigger warnings was more powerful than some of us may want to admit. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025 The company neither admitted nor denied the allegations under the settlement. Tony Schick, ProPublica, 3 Oct. 2025 The following week, our beloved chocolate chip cookie thins were replaced with an orange-cranberry flavor, and I was forced to admit that they might be gone for good. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025 The woman admitted that her wording wasn’t ideal. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for admit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for admit
Verb
  • Investigators ultimately found the remains of at least 10 women in Ed’s home, and were also able to link him to the disappearance of local tavern owner Mary Hogan, whom Ed confessed to killing, according to History.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The findings also effectively means the exoneration of four teenage boys initially implicated in the killings in 1999, two of whom confessed.
    Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The move ended with Gravenberch dragging the Galatasaray forward down outside the box and receiving a yellow card.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • After Ozzy received shots for his blood clots, the entire Osbourne family, grandchildren included, packed a private plane for the trip.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Still, even critics conceded his knack for packaging and marketing.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Alaska's City of Fairbanks Mayor David Pruhs, a Republican, conceded to Mindy O'Neall, a Democrat, in the mayoral election on Tuesday night.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One person close to White House staff’s efforts to keep the president informed acknowledged that his information diet has narrowed since the first term.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The idea was first introduced as part of a broader review of the city's five-year budget projections in 2024, when Waukesha officials acknowledged emerging spending gaps.
    Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Government leaders and local experts on transit agree one-way streets, which were intended to make travel faster for commuters heading in and out of downtown, present safety concerns.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
  • An undercover operation in 2022 revealed that Komarczyk and his associate, Irazmar Carbajal, agreed to move $100,000 of what the FBI believed to be sanctioned money belonging to members of Venezuela’s government.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Admit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/admit. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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