FESSED (UP) Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

fessed (up)

verb

past tense of fess (up)

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fessed (up)

Verb

After allocating about 8% of GDP to NEOM, once contract cancellations are included, the government has admitted a costly defeat.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The Portland decision — based in part on data the Department of Justice later admitted was false — prompted an extraordinary filing by Judge Jay Bybee, who all but pleaded with the court to rehear the case and interpret the law differently.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of admitted

Verb

Sophie confessed to being a bit conflicted about tobacco, a plant that has killed untold humans, but is also showing promise in vaccine production and other pharmaceutical research.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Kao confessed to federal agents that his business model consisted of bribing public officials in exchange for government contracts, and that the research Navatek was providing to the government was often worthless.

— Molly Redden, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of confessed

Verb

Advertisement In our survey, about two-thirds of Americans said a candidate's position on AI could influence their vote in the upcoming Midterm elections, although most acknowledged that other issues matter more.

— Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
However, other administration officials have acknowledged the lists may not be entirely accurate.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of acknowledged

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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fervor

fessed (up)

fesses (up)

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“Fessed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessed%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fessed (up)

verb

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