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
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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
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Like most other women’s colleges in the US, Smith, a small liberal arts college, admits trans women.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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Ice, Ice Baby Spritz cocktails have been dominating warm-weather drinking for years, admits Charly Naranjo, sommelier at Fontainebleau Miami Beach.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2026
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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 8 May. 2026.
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