owned (up)

past tense of own (up)
as in confessed
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for owned (up)
Verb
  • Nancy Wilcox remains missing, and Pender said Bundy confessed to killing her.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Bundy had confessed to Aime’s death before his death, without providing any details, according to the Associated Press.
    — Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Kennedy announced an effort to do that—with much ballyhoo—but later admitted that the FDA did not ban or even have an agreement with food companies to remove the dyes.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Palacios, breaking down in tears, admitted Capador was the one who did the hiring.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
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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Cite this Entry

“Owned (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/owned%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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