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
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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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Google agreed to pay without admitting fault after a group of consumers sued in 2020 over the Android OS draining their cellular data without their permission.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026 -
That’s despite Microsoft admitting in its own Copilot terms of service that the AI shouldn’t be relied upon for virtually any important work.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nicky grows more comfortable and confident in his relationship with Tareq, eventually confessing to his mom and sister Natalie.—
Francesca Gariano,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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However, Bundy reportedly failed to recall if Aime was among his victims while confessing to several homicides throughout Utah.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That meant some notable overhauls during spring training, with manager Craig Counsell acknowledging the Cubs had thrown a lot at the left-hander, requiring time at Triple-A Iowa to continue working through the adjustments.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Guardiola, however, said there was little room for error, acknowledging that anything less than three points would leave his team facing too steep a climb.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
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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 20 Apr. 2026.
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