FESSED (UP) Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

fessed (up)

verb

past tense of fess (up)

as in admitted

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

as in confessed

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 fessed (up)

Verb

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Ramsay admitted that his own pursuit of perfection in the kitchen had come at a cost.

— Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Wright admitted his confidence was shaken last season when a knee injury hindered his development, and limited his opportunities early.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of admitted

Verb

Heartstopper alum Locke confessed to THR that his first read of the script was emotional.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Wagner added that even if Yust’s attorneys had made mistakes, there was no reasonable probability the outcome would have been different, citing strong evidence that included testimony that Yust had confessed to both killings.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of confessed

Verb

The message comes following Tuesday morning’s memo from David Ellison, chairman and CEO, and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, which acknowledged that layoffs will be part of the process of integrating the two companies.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Misheck Mutize, AfCRA’s chief architect, acknowledged that the agency’s main role would be to steer Africa’s $4 trillion savings into African assets rather than changing how foreign investors see the continent.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of acknowledged

Verb

The network apologized; Rather defended the report initially but conceded after several weeks that the materials should not have been used.

— Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Mark Klukow, assistant chief of operations with the law enforcement agency, acknowledged the issues and conceded there was mismanagement in the past.

— Ashley Grams, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of conceded

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.

Browse Nearby Words

fervor

fessed (up)

fesses (up)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fessed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fessed%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fessed (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes