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
Relevance
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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Now 37 days into the shutdown, with the future uncertain, Thompson admits the toll is getting heavy.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025 -
When that news finally came, the actor/producer/host admits he felt vindicated.—
Kristen Baldwin,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Kylie confesses that this trip isn’t just for the girls.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Thankfully, as Hank sleepily confesses, James got away.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Laudermilch acknowledges the difficulty of staying present.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Jorgensen acknowledges that perception.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Hodak concedes that the biohybrid model poses perils.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Rodrik concedes that there is no tried and tested formula to achieve this.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2025.
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