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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However, things got tense when a reporter asked Trump about his decision to admit 59 White South Africans into the United States as refugees earlier this month.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
21 May 2025 -
Antoinette Prieto, 29, admitted May 19 to arson and stalking.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
Verb
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She was forced to confess on national television to crimes against the state, which included having ties to an unlikely combination of the first Trump Administration and communist groups.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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The scene at the start of the episode, when Dina takes Ellie’s shirt off to tend to her wounds and Ellie confesses to Dina about what Joel did, is so sweet and vulnerable.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
26 May 2025
Verb
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Without mentioning Means by name, Adams outlined his position in a May 22 post on X. Adams acknowledged that no explicit federal law mandates the surgeon general be a licensed physician.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Israel was not invited to the party and was barely acknowledged in the foreign-policy address that the president delivered in Saudi Arabia.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Many economists argue that trade deficits do not matter, and even proponents concede that doing so can cause short-term pain.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
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Conte’s side conceded just 27 goals in 38 league games, the strongest defensive record in Serie A and 18 fewer than Inter.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 May 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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