fesses (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fess (up)
1
as in admits
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 confesses
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 fesses (up)
  1. admits
  2. confesses
  3. acknowledges
  4. concedes
Verb
  • Ever the realist, Cox does know and freely admits his athlete’s distance preferences.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Bardem admits he’s been asked, whether directly or indirectly, to tone down his vocal support.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of admits
Verb
  • Emerald Isle, North Carolina, confesses its obvious charms—brilliant blue-green waters, a verdant maritime forest, and lush marshes—in its name.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 7 July 2026
  • Then Armand confesses to Molloy that, actually, he’s been in love with him for decades.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 July 2026
Definition of confesses
Verb
  • The rest is mostly just a projection, a fact that Chesney openly acknowledges.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Getting today’s players to care about this problem can be an uphill battle, Itsel acknowledges.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026
Definition of acknowledges
Verb
  • Whatever Early Warning concedes in New York will bind a network Congress never legislated on and the CFPB abandoned.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Once the darling of the NBA, the next heartthrob to splash on posters and commercials, the acrobatic point guard concedes he is viewed negatively.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of concedes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

fessed (up)
fesses (up)
fessing (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fesses (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fesses%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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