1
as in to admit
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
he fessed up to breaking the antique vase only after his guilt was obvious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to confess
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
at first he denied everything, but eventually he realized that he had no choice but to fess up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fess (up)
Verb
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King, who recently turned 70, admitted she had been terrified of flying but found courage through the mission's extensive preparation.—
Analisa Novak,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2025 -
Arteta admitted post-Brentford that those moments depend on the opponent’s behaviour, with man-orientated pressing sometimes helping to create gaps that Rice tried to exploit in the first half before getting a clearer run from the corner in the second half.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As the veteran investigator and his suspect began their drive, Jones confessed to Ford.—
Lauren A. White,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Balmer turned himself in and allegedly confessed to the fire, according to search warrants.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Walls acknowledges that the union may not ultimately be able to stop Newsom’s return-to-office order and convince the state to secure a raise.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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The sheriff of Island County, Mark Brown, apologized to Fred and acknowledged, in a public report, that his own staff was responsible.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While results at the time tasted similar to the real thing, its inventors conceded that the texture didn’t quite work.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
24 Apr. 2025
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Berlin has changed a lot since Soho House opened here, Bryan conceded, when asked how the organization keeps its cachet after all these years.—
Cathrin Schaer,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fess (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fess%20%28up%29. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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