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
  • Prue follows the advice, confesses what happened to Mac, and discovers the secret her parents have been keeping from her all along.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • With the whizbang action long in the series’ rearview, this quiet road trip proves its emotional centerpiece, as Noah confesses both his true nature and his desire to be better — the conflict of his programming.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The ultimate goal is to create a premium tier interceptor missile that can deal with hypersonic threats while keeping costs down, though the company admits economics are of secondary priority at this phase.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In a separate interview with THR, Hoover admits her own read of what‘s real has shifted.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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