FESSES (UP) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

fesses (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fess (up)

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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fesses (up)

Verb

Reflecting on 12 years as a business — four of those with KC area locations — Harb admits that the brand has come a long way.

— Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
But while the coaches may be having fun in the red chairs, the artists competing for their teams face a much more serious reality this season, and Levine admits that this new Cut Week curveball is anything but easy.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of admits

Verb

Pitts acknowledges that the existing course, starting areas and finish-line footprint may eventually need substantial changes.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
But, as Carrère acknowledges, in the wake of the Ukraine invasion the author has become an embodiment of Russian nationalism.

— Madeleine Wulfahrt, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of acknowledges

Verb

Fielder is not conventionally attractive, concedes Breca, a 26-year-old bisexual man in Pennsylvania, but the filmmaker’s salt-and-pepper hair and stubble did something for Breca nonetheless.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Zidni concedes that the matching fund on its own won’t help independent producers who lack overseas contacts.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 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.

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fessed (up)

fesses (up)

fessing (up)

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“Fesses (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fesses%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of fesses (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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