as in to confess
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
had a strong suspicion about which coworker stole her food from the office fridge, but the likely culprit refused to own up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for own (up)
Verb
-
That same day, the then-Prince Charles had confessed his adultery on television.—
Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
30 May 2026 -
But in the finale, Deborah confesses that her hands are bigger than Ava’s.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In both public settlements, JPMorgan did not admit wrongdoing in its dealings with Epstein.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
-
Even dating app executives have admitted Gen Z can be tough customers.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Own (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/own%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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