1
as in admitting
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 confessing
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 fessing (up)
Verb
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Rather than take a chance with a jury, the state of Michigan decided to settle the case, but without admitting liability.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025 -
Russia has long argued that one of its reasons for going to war in Ukraine was to prevent NATO from admitting Kyiv as a member and placing its forces in Ukraine.—
Vladimir Soldatkin,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The second season of the Netflix hit ended on a cliffhanger with Jackie finally confessing her feelings to Cole, but Alex hearing the confession.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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In the season 7 premiere, it was revealed that Natalie was fired after confessing to stealing medication for her ailing mother.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While acknowledging the tepid numbers, some analysts previously told ABC News that warnings about a recession are premature.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
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Teran said that leadership sets the tone by openly acknowledging caregiving responsibilities.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fessing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessing%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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