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
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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
-
The guards did not admit the visitors, who were wearing civilian clothes.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025 -
Perez admitted nailing an ace isn't solely based on skill.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
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Investigators said Willis confessed to beating the woman in his car before dragging her into the woods.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
In June 2024, Destiny R. Kley, 22, allegedly confessed to setting an arson fire in her kitchen, displacing 27 residents across three floors of the building.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The California Highway Patrol, which is responsible for securing the Capitol building itself, also acknowledged the event.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
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Coming off of four straight losses, Pochettino acknowledged that there would be huge value in the tournament just in getting some wins to help reinforce some positivity in and around the group.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
Verb
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Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set.—
Jerome Pugmire,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
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However, after the first, Canady only conceded two hits and accumulated four strikeouts in the next four innings.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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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 22 Jun. 2025.
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