1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)
Verb
-
In both public settlements, JPMorgan did not admit wrongdoing in its dealings with Epstein.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 May 2026 -
Even dating app executives have admitted Gen Z can be tough customers.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
That same day, the then-Prince Charles had confessed his adultery on television.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
30 May 2026
-
But in the finale, Deborah confesses that her hands are bigger than Ava’s.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Other works allude to Max Beckmann, Paul Klee, and Pontormo, all of whom Nilsson has acknowledged as influences.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Tomás’s belief that maps should acknowledge the marginalized and less powerful—that there’s more to history than what the victors convey—is seemingly shared by O’Farrell.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Their total of 20 league goals conceded from set pieces (excluding penalties) across the season was their highest figure of the Premier League era.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Boise has also gone the last three games without center-back leader Jake Dengler, who’s missed those games with an injury — in that span, Boise has conceded eight goals.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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