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
-
Be careful of admitting that to a coworker as Venus and Uranus clash.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026 -
The border was a mess, that everybody admits.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The traveler confessed to extorting others to commit self-harm, the memo said.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In the club and outside it, the two men stayed up late discussing the merits of Shelley, confessing their doubts about the existence of God, and making plans to publish a joint collection of poetry.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Iran did not immediately acknowledge the sentence.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Guthrie pulled out of covering the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina for NBC, with the opening ceremony commentators acknowledging her absence on Friday.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His hybrid was designed to preserve the elegance and smooth operation of electric motors while conceding the practical power and range that fuel offered.—
Bill Gourgey,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Going into Wednesday’s games, the Lakers rank 27th in opposing field goal percentage and 24th in defensive rating, an estimate of the amount of points a team concedes across a 100-possession span.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 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 12 Feb. 2026.
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