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
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However, things got tense when a reporter asked Trump about his decision to admit 59 White South Africans into the United States as refugees earlier this month.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
21 May 2025 -
This is also addressed within Article 5 of UEFA’s regulations, explaining how the club ranked highest in its domestic championship may be admitted.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The scene at the start of the episode, when Dina takes Ellie’s shirt off to tend to her wounds and Ellie confesses to Dina about what Joel did, is so sweet and vulnerable.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
26 May 2025
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She was forced to confess on national television to crimes against the state, which included having ties to an unlikely combination of the first Trump Administration and communist groups.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Without mentioning Means by name, Adams outlined his position in a May 22 post on X. Adams acknowledged that no explicit federal law mandates the surgeon general be a licensed physician.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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He is widely acknowledged as the Warriors’ key defender, renowned for his on-court communication with teammates and his ability to predict opponents’ tendencies several steps ahead of time.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Speaking to Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of Creative Greece, concedes that there have been bureaucratic challenges since the organization’s launch.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
18 May 2025
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Now, after dispute the accuracy of the video for several months, the defense concedes that the footage is disturbing as an example of domestic violence.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 May 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 30 May. 2025.
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