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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)

Verb

He was detained in March last year and deported to El Salvador, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and other administration officials, later admitted that the removal was due to a clerical error.

— Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Some parents admit the ban is tough but are making the adjustment.

— Michele Gile, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of admit

Verb

In another interview in 2009 with Las Vegas detectives, Davis allegedly confessed to his involvement in the shooting again.

— Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
After posting a video earlier this week asking if anyone else couldn’t stop purchasing diamonds via TikTok, his comment section quickly flooded with more than a thousand replies from people across the country, all confessing their little secret.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of confess

Verb

Sarr, the headmistress, acknowledged that the majority of students come from the capital.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
The researchers acknowledged that there may also be external factors causing traffic fatalities on the same day an album releases and that Spotify is not the only music platform drivers may use.

— Diana Anos, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of acknowledge

Verb

But keeping their promotion rivals at bay most definitely was, Parkinson’s men conceding 24 times in those dozen games, 16 of which came on Welsh soil.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Now, having finally conceded that modifying normal-size cars doesn't quite work, O'Neal has gone fully custom, having a unique Corvette Z06 built to his specifications by Effortless Motors of Riverside, California.

— Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 13 Aug. 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.

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fessing (up)

fess (up)

fest

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

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Synonyms of fess (up)

verb

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