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
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He was arrested at the home and later confessed to killing Eric, a student at Florida International University.—
March 30,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026 -
In opening statements, prosecutors laid out the details of the attack and said Gerhardt Konig confessed to his 19-year-old son in a FaceTime conversation.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No less than Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, perhaps the war’s biggest cheerleader in the administration, had to admit that Iran’s regional retaliation was not exactly a surprise.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The person was identified by video and a witness and admitted setting the fires.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
5 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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