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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One Amazon shopper admitted that the affordable piece exceeded their expectations and is versatile enough to pair with almost anything.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025 -
There, the woman said she and her husband were told to stand in a hallway after they were admitted.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Go Hasegawa, who is in the process of designing one of the property’s 13 vacation homes, confesses that having complete creative control has instead been a source of stress.—
Siobhan Reid,
Robb Report,
7 Sep. 2025
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When Harry confessed that the newlyweds’ romance was inspiring to him in his own dating life, Kate reportedly cried.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When the Steelers signed the 41-year-old quarterback, everyone acknowledged that the four-time NFL MVP isn’t in his prime anymore.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Pilsen parade-goers acknowledged the fear and hesitation in these pockets of the city’s Latino communities, backing organizers’ decisions to put a hold on their events.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Executives concede that Toronto isn’t attracting the kind of wall-to-wall media attention that Cannes and Venice deliver.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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Baker ended up with the worst figures for an English debutant, conceding 76 runs from seven overs.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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