FESS (UP) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

fess (up)

verb

ˈfes

Definition of fess (up)

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

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

Let’s say a patient is admitted with diverticulitis requiring surgery (typically billed as DRG 331 if there are no complications).

— Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
The hospital has been placed under quarantine, Mayor Maxim Modin said Friday, no longer admitting or discharging patients, and its laboratory halted carrying out routine tests.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of admit

Verb

In that world, humans might retain (for a while) a desire to acknowledge the role of AI in those discoveries, even bestowing previously human-only awards upon the responsible AI agents.

— Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Koltai asks visitors to communicate their expectations and boundaries, but acknowledges that people can feel violated and that staff aren’t always present or equipped to monitor encounters.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of acknowledge

Verb

Children today are growing up around AI, robots and devices that once belonged to science fiction, and Yoshida concedes that reality has, in some ways, caught up with Doraemon’s gadgets.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
The network apologized; Rather defended the report initially but conceded after several weeks that the materials should not have been used.

— Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of concede

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.

Browse Nearby Words

fessing (up)

fess (up)

fest

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fess (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes