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

Lillian had been in intensive care since last week after being admitted for a fever that progressed into double vision, according to a post on her mother’s Facebook.

— Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The complaint acknowledges that this situation is unusual, and admits that the First Amendment gives Americans the right to criticize their own government without fear of liability.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of admit

Verb

After his arrest, Reut initially confessed to shooting Berezovska on Zhykovych’s orders, according to Ukrainian prosecutors.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Of course, confessing to any involvement in Haleigh’s disappearance could also land Trinity in a lot more trouble.

— Dateline NBC, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of confess

Verb

Yet after initially acknowledging the economic struggle, the government once again accused the protesters of being foreign agents before unleashing one of the worst crackdowns in the Islamic Republic’s history.

— Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
This phrase is a complicated way of simply acknowledging the fact that Pluto sits within the Kuiper Belt, a vast swarm of bodies that go around the sun in similar orbits beyond Neptune.

— Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of acknowledge

Verb

Lawyers for the government had conceded that designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk didn't prevent companies from using the AI technology for other purposes.

— Joe Walsh, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Dickson himself concedes there is still much work to be done to fully rehabilitate the Gap, as well as its sister brands.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of concede

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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Style

“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fess (up)

verb

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