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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)

Verb

Palacios, breaking down in tears, admitted Capador was the one who did the hiring.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Reflecting on 12 years as a business — four of those with KC area locations — Harb admits that the brand has come a long way.

— Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of admit

Verb

Under cross-examination, Palacios acknowledged that all his communications came via Duberney Capador Giraldo and Germán Alejandro Rivera García, who served as co-leaders of the Colombian squad.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Throughout those three days, FBI Special Agent Bryan Witt, who was assigned to help investigate the matter, candidly acknowledged to the court that the case had not been handled like any other in his career.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of acknowledge

Verb

Dunlap conceded last week and LePage declared victory, and he's been in Washington for orientation for new members.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026
The playbook concedes that compared to other industries with similar general architectures, the clothing and textile manufacturing sector faces a number of challenges that can slow the adoption of digital processes.

— Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

fessing (up)

fess (up)

fest

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fess (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

boilerplate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes