confessed; confessing; confesses
1
: to tell or make known (something, such as something wrong or damaging to oneself) : admit
he confessed his guilt
2
a
: to acknowledge (sin) to God or to a priest
b
: to receive the confession of (a penitent)
3
: to declare faith in or adherence to : profess
4
: to give evidence of
Breeze, bird, and flower confess the hour …—
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott1
a
: to disclose one's faults
specifically
: to unburden one's sins or the state of one's conscience to God or to a priest
b
: to hear a confession
Examples of confess in a Sentence
He confessed after being questioned for many hours.
He willingly confessed his crime.
I have to confess that I was afraid at first.
I confessed my sins to the priest.
Recent Examples on the Web
James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Although filming of the eighth and final season is already in the can, star Sam Heughan confesses that even the cast doesn't know the show's true conclusion, including the fate of his character Jamie Fraser, which has been repeatedly teased as rather ominous.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that during an interview with investigators after his arrest, Cole confessed to constructing the devices, filling them with explosive powder and setting the timers to detonate.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
The defendant had allegedly confessed to the killing in a 911 call, according to court documents reviewed by NBC Connecticut.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confess
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Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
Although filming of the eighth and final season is already in the can, star Sam Heughan confesses that even the cast doesn't know the show's true conclusion, including the fate of his character Jamie Fraser, which has been repeatedly teased as rather ominous.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that during an interview with investigators after his arrest, Cole confessed to constructing the devices, filling them with explosive powder and setting the timers to detonate.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
The defendant had allegedly confessed to the killing in a 911 call, according to court documents reviewed by NBC Connecticut.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confess
Cite this Entry
“Confess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confess. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
confess
verb
con·fess
kən-ˈfes 
1
: to make known (as something wrong)
2
a
: to admit one's sins to God or to a priest
b
: to hear the confession of
the priest confessed the penitents
Legal Definition
confess
transitive verb
con·fess
kən-ˈfes
: to admit (as a charge or allegation) as true, proven, or valid
unless you answer, the petition shall be taken as confessed
: to make a confession
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