FESSING (UP) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

fessing (up)

verb

present participle of fess (up)

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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fessing (up)

Verb

In 2022, after Foulkes had left CVS, the company agreed to pay $5 billion to settle lawsuits nationwide over the toll of opioids, without admitting wrongdoing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Selling a piece of it feels like admitting the story is over.

— Anatoly Iofe, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of admitting

Verb

Of course, confessing to any involvement in Haleigh’s disappearance could also land Trinity in a lot more trouble.

— Dateline NBC, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
After posting a video earlier this week asking if anyone else couldn’t stop purchasing diamonds via TikTok, his comment section quickly flooded with more than a thousand replies from people across the country, all confessing their little secret.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of confessing

Verb

The council discussed whether the Cumulative Bridge Fund could be used as a funding mechanism to foot the bill, and both county attorneys, while acknowledging temporary borrowing may be a gray area, recommended against it.

— Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
At a press conference inside the state Supreme Court building, Hoskins and Hanaway defended their actions related to the map while also acknowledging that the 2022 map would likely be used in November.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of acknowledging

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fesses (up)

fessing (up)

fess (up)

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“Fessing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessing%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fessing (up)

verb

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