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)
Verb
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Alton Brown admits that the classic green bean casserole recipe is worth celebrating.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Nov. 2025 -
It’s taken time, Fonseca admits, to grow accustomed to playing in front of such raucous crowds.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully, as Hank sleepily confesses, James got away.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
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After Tom shares the analogy of the bird that can’t find its way home with Robbie (Tom Pelphrey), the on-the-run thief confesses to seeing himself in the bird.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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James acknowledges how difficult that can be for Black women navigating a healthcare system built on biases and historical harm.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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On the enduring appeal of Japanese IP — spanning manga to gaming — Kaori acknowledges persistent obstacles in cross-border adaptation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Yes, Vonn concedes, the Zooms involved in her investments, foundation, and other projects don’t give her the same adrenaline boost as zooming down a mountain.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Despite the advances in AI, Duan concedes that early domestic CAE software lagged behind foreign competitors in several areas.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fesses (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fesses%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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