OWNS (UP) Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

owns (up)

verb

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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for owns (up)

Verb

Then Armand confesses to Molloy that, actually, he’s been in love with him for decades.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 July 2026
This season Judy Trammell, the squad’s head choreographer, confesses to reading Reddit comments about the team.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 17 June 2026

Definition of confesses

Verb

Mets owner Steve Cohen admits that David Stearns’ track record in Queens has been inconsistent, but says the exec is safe through at least the end of his contract, which runs through the 2028 season.

— Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Jordan admits that without the pet's real-time location, the dog could easily have been hit.

— Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Definition of admits

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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owns

owns (up)

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

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Synonyms of owns (up)

verb

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