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

Bundy had confessed to Aime’s death before his death, without providing any details, according to the Associated Press.

— Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Davis confessed to taking mushrooms, grabbing a gun, and shooting at random people in South Beach.

— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of confessed

Verb

Still, Luckey acknowledged that an ordinary buyer without a specific need for its capabilities would likely find better value elsewhere.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Even Goldman’s Solomon has acknowledged that enterprise implementation may unfold more slowly than people now expect—and behind closed doors, his peers agree.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 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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Style

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

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Synonyms of fessed (up)

verb

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