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
-
There is something to be said for admitting that the prospects of disagreement are permanent and that wisdom consists not in tearing up the peace treaty but in renewing it.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026 -
Redick admitted that there was a freedom to the expectations suddenly being so low – a permanent-marker selection for playoff predictions among sports-debate broadcasts over the past week.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In an interview with The Times, Sid confessed that the whole thing was a lie concocted by a publicist in the 1940s.—
Anabel Sosa,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Flores confessed when police questioned him, authorities said in court filings.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Smith acknowledged the exorbitant price to build reliable orbital data centers, which will have an operational life of five to seven years, is its own obstacle.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Kraken have a -31 scoring differential, with 224 total goals scored and 255 conceded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Green rarely strayed more than a few feet from the Clippers superstar, fighting through screens rather than conceding a switch.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
