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
-
In both public settlements, JPMorgan did not admit wrongdoing in its dealings with Epstein.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 May 2026 -
Even dating app executives have admitted Gen Z can be tough customers.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Verb
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That same day, the then-Prince Charles had confessed his adultery on television.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
30 May 2026
-
But in the finale, Deborah confesses that her hands are bigger than Ava’s.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Other works allude to Max Beckmann, Paul Klee, and Pontormo, all of whom Nilsson has acknowledged as influences.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Tomás’s belief that maps should acknowledge the marginalized and less powerful—that there’s more to history than what the victors convey—is seemingly shared by O’Farrell.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, the only other major Republican candidate, had not yet conceded as of Thursday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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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 6 Jun. 2026.
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