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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While his girlfriend’s commitment to her studies impressed him, the man admitted that her routine had become a nightly obstacle to his rest.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025 -
When the cremation center staff asked what happened, the partner admitted Aria had been killed by a larger dog.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Prior to his arraignment, the defendant confessed to the sheriffs escorting him to the courtroom, the release said.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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There, the men confess their most heartfelt fears, past and ancient Roman present melding.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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During that time, Ashley has said he's been working on a policy that is both strong and permits access to the courthouse complex but has acknowledged the limitations of what is legally permissible.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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But city officials have acknowledged of late that the drug use and crime has since spilled over into nearby neighborhoods, particularly the South End, which has been deemed a hot-spot area by the city and targeted for greater police enforcement.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Accessories — a category that Adidas executives have previously conceded needs more work — only rose 1 percent.—
Cathrin Schaer,
Footwear News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Without conceding much, Washington could stop cross-strait antagonisms from descending further and create room for a better trajectory to emerge.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2025.
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