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
-
There’s no shame in admitting it.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 June 2026 -
In other words, rather than admitting more qualified applicants, the administration has chosen to pressure professors to dumb down the material.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
Verb
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That it was spliced with footage of his secret ex-girlfriend, Meija Moreno, confessing to Ciara Miller and Kyle Cooke via FaceTime that West had lied like crazy about their relationship status portended certain doom.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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Randle was seen crying on multiple occasions as evidence was presented, including recordings of her confessing to hitting Dinkins.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Some customers in San Juan began reporting intermittent service more than a year ago, with the governor acknowledging the infrastructure has lacked investment and maintenance for decades.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Swift started her speech by acknowledging Spielberg.—
Maria Sherman,
Fortune,
12 June 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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