FESSING (UP) Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

fessing (up)

verb

present participle of fess (up)

as in admitting

to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly he fessed up to breaking the antique vase only after his guilt was obvious

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as in confessing

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fessing (up)

Verb

Blowing Oleksa’s cover would mean publicly admitting that there are five senators on her asset list — one of whom was seduced into posing for some, uh, compromising photographs.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
Asked if his new costars are more talented than the JoBros when they were cast in the 2008 film, Nick is perfectly comfortable with admitting the obvious.

— Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of admitting

Verb

Dylan gives a subtle warning for Alex to stay away from Kylie, but Alex was still close to confessing his evolved feelings for her.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Nikki Rodriguez’s character might still technically be dating Alex, but that isn’t stopping her from flirting with his brother after confessing her love in the season 2 finale.

— Kat Pettibone, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of confessing

Verb

Raskin opened the missive by acknowledging that Paramount has not responded to his four previous inquiries in the past 12 months.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Mark Kelly hopes to see historical markers placed in a park or along a walking trail in the subdivision acknowledging the history of the land.

— Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of acknowledging

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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fesses (up)

fessing (up)

fess (up)

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“Fessing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessing%20%28up%29. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fessing (up)

verb

Example Sentences

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