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
-
Meanwhile, Harris admitted the Biden administration made another error by not making Americans’ most pressing needs, such as affordable childcare or paid family leave, its top legislative priority.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025 -
Prior to Schleicher’s oncology appointment, she was notified that she would likely be admitted for aggressive treatment on July 31, 2025.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He was arrested and later confessed to raping and killing his victims as well as engaging in necrophilia with their remains.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Think of the economic arrangement between William and Eugene in Queer or the generational attitudes at play when Elio’s father confesses his own potential queerness to him in Call Me By Your Name.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At least three bills have been filed by Republicans and Democrats acknowledging the growing problem of a limited domestic workforce and a reliance on migrant labor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Oct. 2025
-
This is an important point, one that acknowledges the complexity of living a life bounded, as all lives are, by history.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their underlying numbers are equally compelling, conceding just five big chances on their goal.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The doc feature records a news report on Taj Erlander, Swedish prime minister during much of Wallenberg’s imprisonment, admitting as much, conceding that his government had failed one of its greatest citizens by not pressing hard for his release.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share