1
as in admitting
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
the thief confessed to dozens of robberies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in acknowledging
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
political prisoners, under threat of torture, forced to confess their guilt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 confessing
Ashley becomes desperate to get Sofia back and starts to think that confessing to Miran's crimes might be the answer.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Nickerson was immediately terminated after confessing to the behavior, McKinzie wrote in an email to the congregation at the time.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that tens of millions of people are confessing secrets to AI chatbots trained on religious texts, with apps like Bible Chat reaching over 30 million downloads and Catholic app Hallow briefly topping Netflix, Instagram, and TikTok in Apple's App Store.
—Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
The second season of the Netflix hit ended on a cliffhanger with Jackie finally confessing her feelings to Cole, but Alex hearing the confession.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
In the season 7 premiere, it was revealed that Natalie was fired after confessing to stealing medication for her ailing mother.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Hansen initially denied the murders before eventually confessing to the attacks.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Nickerson was immediately terminated after confessing to the behavior, McKinzie wrote in an email to the congregation at the time.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that tens of millions of people are confessing secrets to AI chatbots trained on religious texts, with apps like Bible Chat reaching over 30 million downloads and Catholic app Hallow briefly topping Netflix, Instagram, and TikTok in Apple's App Store.
—Benj Edwards, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
The second season of the Netflix hit ended on a cliffhanger with Jackie finally confessing her feelings to Cole, but Alex hearing the confession.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
In the season 7 premiere, it was revealed that Natalie was fired after confessing to stealing medication for her ailing mother.
—EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Hansen initially denied the murders before eventually confessing to the attacks.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confessing
Verb
-
Making room for levity is, then, a way of admitting the human—not through the granular and intimate detail that lends Ferrante’s novels their power but through a broader concession to nature.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Attest data supports concerns around mental health, with a quarter of parents admitting their child struggles often.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Before boarding the American Airlines flight, a flight attendant at the gate made a PA announcement saying Jamaica is her home, speaking from the heart in acknowledging the situation on the ground.—
George Solis,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
-
With sources at the Guilds and studios acknowledging the state of the health plans going into next year’s talks, Ziffren’s prescription doesn’t sound far off base.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confessing. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share