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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for own (up)
Verb
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The film opens with its shy, sensitive twentysomething protagonist, Bear, struggling to confess his feelings for his childhood friend, Nikki.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026 -
Bravo’s reality series has been in the midst of a whirlwind after co-stars Westling Wilson and Amanda Batula confessed to being in a relationship.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Walter had recently been admitted with severe head injuries to the intensive-care unit of a nearby hospital.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Watkins, who worked in higher education for 45 years before retiring in 2023, admitted there were some who questioned why someone who earned reportedly more than $90 million in a pro basketball career would be in college.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
10 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 13 May. 2026.
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