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
  • Reeling from everything that's happened and believing Grace is dead, Anya rushes over to Grace's house and confesses her sins to Father Franklin.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In a now infamous scene, the friend appears at her door and confesses his feelings using cue cards.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Banachek plays a famed mentalist who earns his living deceiving people but always admits his feats are tricks.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Those inconsistencies have also raised questions about the offense's identity, something Prescott admits is still a work in progress.
    — Briana Aldridge, CBS News, 7 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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