FESS Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

fess (up)

verb

ˈfes

Definition of fess (up)

as in to admit

to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly he fessed up to breaking the antique vase only after his guilt was obvious

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to confess

to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid at first he denied everything, but eventually he realized that he had no choice but to fess up

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)

Verb

OpenAI later admitted that several of their AI models had broken out of containment and used a zero-day vulnerability to manipulate the open internet.

— Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
In 2022, after Foulkes had left CVS, the company agreed to pay $5 billion to settle lawsuits nationwide over the toll of opioids, without admitting wrongdoing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of admit

Verb

Robinson allegedly confessed to multiple people, including his roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs, according to court documents.

— Michael Ruiz , Jesse Watson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
This included expert witnesses who said the child’s death was an accidental drowning brought on by a seizure and a jailhouse informant who recanted his trial testimony that Duncan had confessed to the crime.

— Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of confess

Verb

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who last month placed a moratorium on hyperscaler data center development, has acknowledged the gap between big promises and few jobs.

— Petala Ironcloud, ArsTechnica, 7 Sep. 2026
Bowyer acknowledged that Turning Point Action’s growing infrastructure in early primary states could cause some agitation on the right if it is seen as throwing its weight behind one candidate.

— Hannah Fingerhut, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of acknowledge

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.

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fessing (up)

fess (up)

fest

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“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fess (up)

verb

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