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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Second, build trust and psychological safety by being open, admitting mistakes, and listening attentively.
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The company agreed to settle the case without admitting liability.
Verb
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During her trial, prosecutors played a recording of Yang confessing to Reuter's murder to a friend who was wearing a wire.
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After his October 2023 arrest on two murder charges, Joshua Elijah Ballard, 25, waived his Miranda rights and sat down with detectives, confessing to fatally shooting both Sebahattin Ciftci, 46, and Emre Bozkurt, 21, over a 10-day span, Det.
Verb
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Meaning the next step is acknowledging that the infrastructure gap is now a scientific and policy problem, not just a curious find that will be published in a scientific journal article.
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Ukraine's deep-strike successes had prompted some analysts to suggest the conflict could be turning in Kyiv's favor, with Putin acknowledging the impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian fuel production for the first time.
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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 5 Jul. 2026.
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