1
as in admitted
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 confessed
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 fessed (up)
Verb
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According to The New York Times, Coppola has also openly admitted that the movie left him broke.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025 -
The Louvre's president and director admitted that the museum's cameras failed to spot the burglars and pledged to make security upgrades to the centuries-old building.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, just nine days later, Smith confessed that there had been no carjacking.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Wuornos, a serial killer who confessed to murdering seven men in Florida from 1989 to 1999 before being sentenced to death for her crimes, was dating a woman named Tyria Moore at the time of her murder spree.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By all means, this committee should aim to commemorate the freeing of slaves, Moore acknowledged, once the nationalists had taken over in earnest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also the de facto head of state, acknowledged the rebels’ capture of El Fasher.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sunderland have conceded the third-most shots in the division, but the average quality of those efforts has been low.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Fessed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessed%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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