OWNING (UP) Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

owning (up)

verb

present participle of own (up)

as in confessing

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 owning (up)

Verb

Nikki Rodriguez’s character might still technically be dating Alex, but that isn’t stopping her from flirting with his brother after confessing her love in the season 2 finale.

— Kat Pettibone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
The second season of the Netflix hit ended on a cliffhanger with Jackie (Rodriguez) and Cole (LaLonde) finally confessing their feelings for each other, but Cole’s brother — and Jackie’s boyfriend — Alex (Gentry) hears the confession.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Definition of confessing

Verb

Reddit is best known as a forum for discussing how to retire in your thirties, trade conspiracy theories about medical school being a psyop, and gossip about which influencer is taking a GLP-1 but not admitting it.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
San Vicente Bungalows, his private club, is rumored to maintain a policy against admitting Housewives as members.

— Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of admitting

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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owning

owning (up)

owning (up to)

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“Owning (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/owning%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of owning (up)

verb

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