OWN (UP) Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

own (up)

verb

Definition of own (up)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for own (up)

Verb

Skalnik would then tell investigators that this person had confessed their crime to him.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Heinrich confessed to abducting, assaulting and killing Jacob.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of confess

Verb

Ahead of the trial, the commonwealth also filed a motion to admit audio recordings of the 911 call Patrick Clancy made after returning home and discovering his family.

— Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
That may mean narrowing the goal, admitting that an assumption no longer holds, or changing a play that made sense six months ago.

— Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of admit

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Style

“Own (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/own%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of own (up)

verb

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