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
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Recent Examples of confessing
The two erupt in argument, in misunderstanding, with John confessing his anger at his lot.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The Milwaukee man accused of fatally stabbing his 44-year-old girlfriend then allegedly confessing to the crime in a text message apologized to her family during his first court hearing.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The judge also barred Jones’ attorneys from presenting evidence related to other people confessing to the murder, allegedly placing a hit on Pata and threatening Pata before his killing.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
In a series of studies at Ohio University, participants viewed videos of people confessing to crimes.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2026
In the novel, the story instead concludes aboard the Princess Andromeda cruise ship, where Luke is tricked into confessing to poisoning Thalia’s tree, clearing Chiron’s name.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
In the 2015 timeline, Bree is about to marry Evan, though their relationship will no doubt be complicated by Stephen having sent her a voice memo of Evan confessing to his one-night stand with Lucy.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
More than 18,000 people have been detained and at least 97 individuals have been coerced into confessing for their crimes on state television, per the organization.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
The Milwaukee man accused of fatally stabbing his 44-year-old girlfriend then allegedly confessing to the crime in a text message apologized to her family during his first court hearing.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The judge also barred Jones’ attorneys from presenting evidence related to other people confessing to the murder, allegedly placing a hit on Pata and threatening Pata before his killing.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
In a series of studies at Ohio University, participants viewed videos of people confessing to crimes.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2026
In the novel, the story instead concludes aboard the Princess Andromeda cruise ship, where Luke is tricked into confessing to poisoning Thalia’s tree, clearing Chiron’s name.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
In the 2015 timeline, Bree is about to marry Evan, though their relationship will no doubt be complicated by Stephen having sent her a voice memo of Evan confessing to his one-night stand with Lucy.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
More than 18,000 people have been detained and at least 97 individuals have been coerced into confessing for their crimes on state television, per the organization.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confessing
Verb
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Radical transparency means admitting mistakes Armedangels prides itself on using only chlorine-free wool from certified organic farms.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The developments fueled speculation that the president may be acknowledging political limits on Capitol Hill even as Republicans narrowly control both the House and Senate.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
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The death count in NYC amid the frigid conditions of the past few weeks jumped Tuesday with city officials acknowledging seven additional deaths, the news coming after the Mamdani administration came under fire for its response to the the freezing weather at a Council oversight hearing.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confessing. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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