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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According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Horner confessed to authorities about what happened to Athena.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026 -
According to charging documents, Delong later confessed to killing Czech.—
Riley Moser,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hall, who lost the use of both legs from childhood polio, sued in 1978 to have wheelchair racers admitted into the New York Marathon, a fight that wasn’t settled until the race created men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions in 2000.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The proponents of this measure have even admitted unabashedly that this is part of a national effort to divide Coloradoans and drive turnout in the midterm elections.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 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 Apr. 2026.
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