owns (up)

Definition of owns (up)next
present tense third-person singular of own (up)
as in confesses
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 owns (up)
Verb
  • But after making the call, Ferraz confesses there are no recordings and that Creasy will have to find another way to take down Carmo, Soares and Tappen.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
  • In the heart-wrenching Season 2 finale, Morgan and Karadec’s investigation into a poolside death at a Los Angeles hotel resulted in the arrest of Lucia, a guest relations manager who confesses to tipping off and then covering for the conman who murdered a home improvement reality show host.
    Max Gao, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The writer-director is generous with his time and loquacious with his words, and admits that sometimes his openness in interviews has gotten him in a little bit of trouble.
    Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
  • The idea of hosting a recurring ping-pong tournament took some cajoling before the CFO was on board, Herthel admits.
    Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 11 May 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

“Owns (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/owns%20%28up%29. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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