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
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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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Even general manager Ross Atkins admitted it after the move.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025 -
At the end of September, Jason admitted on another episode of their podcast that the brothers' mom, Donna Kelce, has been subtly hinting for more grandkids while talking with Coach Deion Sanders.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If Grasso had confessed to Tom in that exact moment, would he have been forgiven?—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
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When the police and EMTs arrive, Laurel announces that her husband confessed to Scotty’s murder and then keeled over from the immense guilt.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both countries claimed higher death tolls than their neighbor acknowledged.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
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Jobs present more of a risk now Powell acknowledged Tuesday that the central bank’s dual mandate—stable prices and maximum employment—has suddenly started pulling in the other direction.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like Perri, the data would suggest Darlow has conceded more goals than he was expected to, but to a marginally better extent.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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In a moment of rare institutional self-reflection, Powell conceded that the Fed kept its balance sheet expansion going too long during the pandemic.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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