as in to confess
to make an acknowledgment of something unpleasant as true or valid
had a strong suspicion about which coworker stole her food from the office fridge, but the likely culprit refused to own up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for own (up)
Verb
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Shortly after Lennon was shot, his killer, Mark David Chapman, confessed at the scene of the crime.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026 -
Gail and Joseph Bailey were found shot to death inside their Washington City, Utah, home in June 2024; their child, Mia Bailey, confessed to shooting and killing them.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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But ahead of her summer wedding to fiancé Matt Mahowald, Marshall admits sharing so much of her life online can sometimes blur personal boundaries.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
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Kemp admits that she was influenced by the lessons learned from the fan reaction to the conclusion of Power.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Own (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/own%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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