owns (up)

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
  • After 17 years behind bars, convicted for murdering his pregnant wife, Max is exonerated after someone else confesses to the crime.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 June 2026
  • Rafa confesses to eating chocolate in violation of his strict diet.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • Shaboozey admits there’s a little bit of his own life story in the album.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
  • Trying to process what had happened was difficult in the immediate aftermath, Calzini admits.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 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 9 Jun. 2026.

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