owning (up)

Definition of owning (up)next
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for owning (up)
Verb
  • So did confessing to a crime, oddly.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
  • After finally confessing to their bosses about these secret missions, they were allowed to continue.
    Costa Beavin Pappas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Letters admitting compulsions and guilt Judge Lopez must also weigh whether letters Cox wrote to a judge in 1993 and 1995 will be admissible.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Adelman provides cover for players, admitting the length of the schedule, the back-to-backs, makes defensive efforts like that against Boston impossible to replicate every night.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 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

“Owning (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/owning%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.

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