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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This marks the second time within four weeks that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responding to the Herald’s questions, admitted that the body cam footage from two officers watching over boat operator George Pino was deleted.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025 -
The outlet asked if the screening process had changed over the years, and Cohen admitted that the network was stricter on their background checks.—
Esther Kang,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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In 1989, Erik confessed to his psychologist, whose mistress later reported it to the police.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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Eddie Cicotte Another member of the disgraced 1919 White Sox, Cicotte confessed to participating in the scheme to fix the World Series.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Left-handedness and certain neurological disorders could go hand-in-hand, a new study revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged potential limitations.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2025
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In contrast, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged the U.S. and took to social media to express gratitude to Trump.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Speaking to Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of Creative Greece, concedes that there have been bureaucratic challenges since the organization’s launch.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
18 May 2025
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Now, after dispute the accuracy of the video for several months, the defense concedes that the footage is disturbing as an example of domestic violence.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 May 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 21 May. 2025.
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