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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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
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Although filming of the eighth and final season is already in the can, star Sam Heughan confesses that even the cast doesn't know the show's true conclusion, including the fate of his character Jamie Fraser, which has been repeatedly teased as rather ominous.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
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Mindy confesses that Nico is stressed about money.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The intelligent age demands a recalibration of the relationship between institutions and citizens, one that acknowledges the psychological and political consequences of information abundance and technological opacity.—
Klaus Schwab,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
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What’s ahead Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland who authored AB 130, acknowledges the criticism that California is still not building enough homes to greatly lower prices despite the flurry of bills passed by the Legislature in recent years.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
30 Dec. 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 9 Jan. 2026.
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